LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Travel

Maria Eagle: To ask the Leader of the House 
	(1)  what his Office's budget for ministerial travel for (a) the Government Car Service, (b) private hire vehicles, (c) taxis, (d) rail, (e) aviation and (f) other is for (i) 2013-14, (ii) 2014-15 and (iii) 2015-16;
	(2)  how much his Office spent on ministerial travel by (a) Government Car Service, (b) private hire vehicles, (c) taxis, (d) rail, (e) aviation and (f) other means in each year of the current parliament.

Andrew Lansley: The Office of the Leader of the House of Commons is part of the Cabinet Office. Our answer will be included in the response by the Minister for the Cabinet Office, shortly.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

Alternatives to Prosecution

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General on how many occasions the Crown Prosecution Service has advised the police not to charge but to issue a caution or other out-of-court disposal instead in cases of (a) rape, (b) sexual offences other than rape, (c) domestic violence, (d) grievous bodily harm and (e) street robbery in each of the last seven years.

Oliver Heald: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) records the number of cases referred to for pre-charge advice and where the final decision was to either, issue a simple caution, conditional caution, reprimand or final warning, or take the offence into consideration.
	The figures in the tables show the decisions made at the pre-charge stage where the case was one flagged as containing a Rape or Domestic Violence allegation. The data do not capture whether the decision to issue a caution or other out-of-court disposal was related to the rape or domestic violence allegation or other criminality evident on the file following a decision that there should be no further action in respect of the substantive offence. The case would remain flagged even after such a decision.
	The CPS Case Management System is unable to extract pre-charge data for specific offence categories, including sexual offences (with the exception of rape), grievous bodily harm and street robbery.
	
		
			 Pre-charge decisions—domestic violence flagged 
			  2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 
			 C—Simple Caution 1,966 2,149 1,973 2,246 1,973 1,574 1,186 
			 D—Conditional Caution 42 116 221 170 120 88 154 
			 D5—CC Non-Compliance—Continue with Variation 0 0 3 1 1 2 3 
			 E—Reprimand 45 36 36 29 37 36 18 
			 F—Final Warning 78 80 94 107 82 61 57 
			 G—Taken into consideration 17 13 2 3 6 4 5 
			 Total Pre-Charge Decision 66,639 74,065 80,423 91,184 101,242 95,117 88,110 
		
	
	
		
			 Pre-charge decisions—rape flagged 
			  2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 
			 C—Simple Caution 39 18 29 23 31 18 16 
			 D—Conditional Caution 1 0 0 0 4 0 0 
			 E—Reprimand 6 0 4 7 0 3 0 
			 F—Final Warning 22 17 22 23 32 22 18 
			 G—Taken into consideration 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 
			 Total Pre-Charge Decision 6,590 5,722 6,597 7,683 8,130 6,822 5,404

Copyright: Prosecutions

Grahame Morris: To ask the Attorney-General how many successful prosecutions have been brought against individuals who have stripped copyright metadata and other information which identifies a copyright holder of a piece of work in the last (a) 12 months and (b) five years.

Dominic Grieve: The records held by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) identify the number of offences in which a prosecution commenced and reached a first hearing in magistrates courts, rather than the number of cases or defendants prosecuted. A single defendant may be prosecuted for multiple offences and it is not possible to disaggregate figures to show separately the volume and outcome of proceedings for each individual offence prosecuted. Copyright offences are also prosecuted by local authorities and by private prosecutors and the CPS does not hold any data in relation to those prosecutions.
	The stripping of copyright metadata, referred to as removing or altering electronic rights management information, in the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 will be subject to criminal prosecution where the activity is associated with making, dealing, importing or possessing infringing articles contrary to section 107 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. Removing or altering electronic rights management information may give rise to civil liability against a copyright owner.
	The following table shows, in each of the last five years, the number of offences prosecuted by the CPS for offences of copyright infringement contrary to section 107 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
	
		
			   Number 
			 Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 (107) 2008-09 621 
			  2009-10 405 
			  2010-11 385 
			  2011-12 244 
			  2012-13 97 
		
	
	To establish if any of these offences related to prosecutions where the stripping of copyright metadata or other information identifying a copyright holder was a feature, and those in which a conviction was obtained, would incur disproportionate cost.
	In addition, prosecutions can be brought under section 296ZB of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 for offences of providing, importing or manufacturing devices or services designed to circumvent technological copyright protection measures. The number of these offences charged in the last five years is as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 (296ZB) 2008-09 0 
			  2009-10 0 
			  2010-11 0 
			  2011-12 1 
			  2012-13 25

Crown Prosecution Service

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General how many cases were classed by the Crown Prosecution Service as late returns in each of the last seven years.

Oliver Heald: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) does not routinely maintain a central record of the number or proportion of instructions to advocates which are subject to a late return. To capture this information in relation to all Crown court instructions over each of the last seven years would require each file to be examined and would incur disproportionate cost.
	However, the CPS has undertaken three snapshot surveys of late returned briefs in trial cases over the last seven years in 2007, 2009 and 2010.
	In 2007, 454 trials were subject to survey, of which 117 or 26% had instructions returned within seven days of the trial date.
	In 2009, 605 trials were subject to survey, of which 190 or 31% had instructions returned within seven days of the trial date.
	In 2010, 813 trials were subject to survey, of which 228 or 28% had instructions returned within seven days of the trial date.

Fixed Penalties

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General on how many occasions the Crown Prosecution Service has recommended a penalty for disorder notice instead of a criminal charge or caution in respect of (a) criminal damage, (b) actual bodily harm, (c) grievous bodily harm, (d) inciting or threatening violence and (e) drugs-related offences in each of the last seven years.

Oliver Heald: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) maintains no central record of the occasions in which it recommended the issue of a Penalty Notice for Disorder (PND). Penalty Notices for Disorder allow operational police officers a quick and effective alternative disposal option for dealing with low-level, antisocial and nuisance offending where they have reason to believe that a person aged 18 years of age or over has committed a penalty offence and they are suitable to receive a PND.

Human Trafficking and Forced Labour

Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Attorney-General what steps the Director of Public Prosecutions is taking to raise awareness amongst prosecutors on how to recognise cases of forced labour and human trafficking; and what assessment he has made of whether the current legislation is being used to prosecute such cases effectively.

Oliver Heald: Legal and policy guidance is issued by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) which is updated and provides advice on the relevant legislation and evidential requirements to support the prosecution of the criminal offences of human trafficking, slavery and forced labour. In addition, the CPS published an e-learning programme for prosecutors in March 2013 on all criminal conduct associated with human trafficking and slavery, forced labour and domestic servitude.
	The CPS was also consulted about amendments to human trafficking offences following a review of the legislation led by the Home Office in 2012. The amended offences which came into force on 6 April 2013 under the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 extend territorial jurisdiction to enable prosecutors to prosecute cases of trafficking where the victims have been trafficked anywhere in the world.

ICT

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Attorney-General how many (a) computers, (b) mobile telephones, (c) BlackBerrys and (d) other pieces of IT equipment were lost or stolen from the Law Officers' Departments in (i) 2010-11, (ii) 2011-12 and (iii) 2012-13; and if he will make a statement.

Dominic Grieve: The information requested is contained in the following tables.
	
		
			 2010-11 
			  Computers Mobile telephones BlackBerry Other IT equipment 
			 Crown Prosecution Service 5 12 8 0 
		
	
	
		
			 Serious Fraud Office 1 3 3 5 
			 Attorney-General's Office 0 0 1 0 
			 Treasury Solicitor's Department 1 0 0 2 
		
	
	
		
			 2011-12 
			  Computers Mobile telephones BlackBerry Other IT equipment 
			 Crown Prosecution Service 0 3 4 0 
			 Serious Fraud Office 0 1 3 11 
			 Attorney-General's Office 0 0 0 0 
			 Treasury Solicitor's Department 2 0 0 6 
		
	
	
		
			 2012-13 
			  Computers Mobile telephones BlackBerry Other IT equipment 
			 Crown Prosecution Service 14 8 5 0 
			 Serious Fraud Office 2 0 1 0 
			 Attorney-General's Office 0 0 0 0 
			 Treasury Solicitor's Department 1 0 0 13 
		
	
	The HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate has not recorded any thefts or losses of IT or communications technology during the past three years.

Prosecutions

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General on how many occasions in each category of offences the Crown Prosecution Service decided not to charge on grounds that the case did not meet the evidential test of the Crown Prosecutors' Code in each of the last three years.

Oliver Heald: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) record prosecution cases according to their principal offence category (POC). The POC indicates the most serious offence with which the defendant is charged at the time of finalisation of proceedings. As the POC category is not applied until the finalisation of the prosecution case, pre-charge decisions (PCDs) are not categorised. It is not possible to identify the offence categories of PCD without a manual exercise to review individual files, which would attract a disproportionate cost.
	The number of PCDs where the CPS decided not to charge on grounds that the case did not meet the evidential test of the Code for Crown Prosecutors are as follows:
	
		
			  2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 
			 Total number of PCDs 468,656 369,564 309,315 
		
	
	
		
			 Number of PCDs not charged on evidential grounds 114,558 85,030 70,844

Shoplifting: Prosecutions

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General how many cases of shoplifting were prosecuted by the Crown Prosecution Service in each of the last six years; and how many of those cases related to shoplifting of items worth £200 or less.

Oliver Heald: The records held by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) identify the number of offences in which a prosecution commenced and reached a first hearing in magistrates courts, rather than the number of defendants or cases prosecuted. The following table, therefore, shows in each of the last six years the number of offences of shoplifting charged under section 1 of the Theft Act 1968.
	
		
			  Theft Act 1968 (1(1) and 7): Theft from a shop 
			 2007-08 98,920 
			 2008-09 113,781 
			 2009-10 111,386 
			 2010-11 115,112 
			 2011-12 116,115 
			 2012-13 113,258 
		
	
	There is no indication of the final prosecution outcome, nor as to whether the charged offence was the substantive charge at the time of finalisation. It is also often the case that an individual defendant can be charged with more than one offence in the same case. The CPS does not record the value of the items stolen therefore it is not possible to identify those offences where the value of the items stolen was less than £200. The capture of such data would require a manual exercise to review individual files, which would attract a disproportionate cost.

Shoplifting: Prosecutions

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General if he will make an assessment of the likely effect on the volume of shoplifting cases that will still be handled by the Crown Prosecution Service of the Government's decision to allow the police to prosecute shoplifting cases of less than £200.

Oliver Heald: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) will continue to prosecute all contested cases of shoplifting of goods valued at £200 or less, and will also prosecute all cases of shoplifting, both contested and uncontested, where the value is over £200. The Home Office estimates that this will account for approximately 37% of all shoplifting cases, or around 30,000 cases a year.

Stalking: Prosecutions

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General what training lawyers in the Crown Prosecution Service have recently received on charging and prosecuting the offence of stalking.

Dominic Grieve: As well as providing detailed guidance to prosecutors on the new stalking offences created by the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has an online e-Learning course accessible to all prosecutors. The course was launched in September 2012 and includes training on the relevant offences and their identification, as well as covering other issues which may arise in the prosecution of stalking cases. The course is being refreshed for June 2013, when it will become mandatory learning for all prosecutors.

Witnesses

Priti Patel: To ask the Attorney-General what special measures the Crown Prosecution Service prosecutors offer to vulnerable witnesses to support them in giving evidence.

Oliver Heald: A range of special measures are available and offered to vulnerable witnesses, for example giving evidence through live link, recorded evidence in chief and the use of screens in court. The Crown Prosecution Service works closely with the police and voluntary sector agencies who provide tailored support to vulnerable witnesses early on and at all stages of a criminal trial.

Witnesses

Ann Coffey: To ask the Attorney-General how many children under (a) 12 years old, (b) 15 years old and (c) 17 years old appeared as witnesses in Crown court trials in the last three years.

Oliver Heald: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) does not maintain data showing the number of children who appeared as witnesses in Crown court trials. This information could only be obtained by examining all of the files prosecuted by the CPS in the Crown court, which would incur disproportionate costs.

Witnesses

Ann Coffey: To ask the Attorney-General how many children under (a) 12-years-old, (b) 15-years-old and (c) 17-years-old have appeared as witnesses in trials relating to sexual violence and abuse in the last three years.

Oliver Heald: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) does not maintain data showing the number of children who appeared as witnesses in trials relating to sexual violence and abuse. This information could be obtained only by examining all of the sexual offences files prosecuted by the CPS, which would incur disproportionate costs.

WALES

Out of Area Treatment

Jesse Norman: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many patients registered with GPs in Wales are normally resident in (a) Herefordshire and (b) England.

David Jones: The information requested is the responsibility of the Welsh Government. They have advised that there are currently 3,555 patients registered with a GP in Wales who are resident in Herefordshire. In total, there are 20,627 patients registered with a Welsh GP who are England residents.

Out of Area Treatment

Jesse Norman: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what negotiations he has had with the Welsh Government regarding the 2013 Protocol for Cross-Border Healthcare Services.

Stephen Crabb: The current Protocol for Cross-Border Healthcare Services was agreed jointly between NHS England and the Welsh Government in April 2013. Discussions will continue with the Welsh Government to ensure smooth implementation of this protocol and the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales, my noble Friend Baroness Randerson, recently met the Welsh Government Minister for Health and Social Care, Mark Drakeford AM, to discuss such matters.

Personnel Management

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many officials in his Department were employed in human resources functions in each of the last five years; at what grades such staff were employed; and what the total cost of his Department’s human resources functions was.

Stephen Crabb: The following table sets out how many officials in the Wales Office were employed in human resources functions in each of the last five years; at what grades such staff were employed; and what the total cost of the Wales Office’s human resources functions was.
	
		
			  2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 
			 Number of HR staff employed 2 2 2 2 2 
			 Grade SEO and EO Grade 7 and EO Grade 7 and EO Grade 7 and EO Grade 7 and SEO 
			 Total HR cost to Department (£) 150,937.12 186,755.29 112,028.47 145,237.86 175,780.50 
		
	
	In 2013-14, the number of officials in HR will reduce to one grade 7.

SCOTLAND

ICT

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many (a) computers, (b) mobile telephones, (c) BlackBerrys and (d) other pieces of IT equipment were lost or stolen in (i) 2010-11, (ii) 2011-12 and (iii) 2012-13; and if he will make a statement.

David Mundell: In the period 2010-11, 2011-12 and 2012-13, there were no computers, mobile phones, or other items of IT equipment reported as lost or stolen from the Scotland Office.
	In the period 2011-12, four BlackBerrys were reported as lost or stolen and in the period 2012-13, one BlackBerry was reported lost or stolen from the Scotland Office.

Insolvency

Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many businesses in Scotland have entered bankruptcy in each of the last three years.

David Mundell: The following table details the number of businesses that have become insolvent in the year 2010-11, 2011-12 and 2012-13.
	
		
			  Financial year 
			  2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 
			 Receiverships 56 35 31 
			 Compulsory liquidations 733 1,013 714 
			 Creditors’ voluntary liquidations 321 321 277 
			 Total corporate insolvencies 1,110 1,369 1,022 
			     
			 Members’ voluntary liquidations 200 192 250 
		
	
	These figures do not include the number of individual bankruptcies that took place in each year. The total number of individual awards of bankruptcy would contain any sole traders and self-employed people who become insolvent in the period. These are not recorded separately from other personal bankruptcies and so cannot be identified separately.

Training

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether (a) he or (b) Ministers in his Department have undertaken media training since May 2010; and what the cost to the public purse was of any such training.

David Mundell: The Secretary of State for Scotland, the right hon. Member for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk (Michael Moore), and I have not undertaken any media training since May 2010 that incurred a cost to the public purse.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Airports

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent representations her Department has made to the European Commission about the ring fencing of airport slots for regional destinations.

Theresa Villiers: In the context of the European Commission's ‘Better Airport Package’, which includes proposals to recast the EU Slot Regulation, the UK has highlighted the issue of regional connectivity and has sought the inclusion of measures to help to secure the ongoing provision of regional air services to congested London airports. However, it has proved challenging to devise a mechanism to protect commercially viable air services without seriously impairing and distorting the aviation market and competition across Europe,

G8: County Fermanagh

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment she has made of planned security arrangements for the forthcoming G8 summit in Northern Ireland; and if she will make a statement.

Theresa Villiers: I have regular meetings to discuss G8 summit security arrangements with PSNI colleagues, including the Chief Constable. Arrangements are well developed and PSNI have a robust plan in place to deal with the security challenges which come with hosting the G8 summit. Northern Ireland Office officials will continue to work closely with all partners on G8 security issues in the lead-up to the summit.

G8: County Fermanagh

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions she has had with police forces in Great Britain about security for the G8 Summit in Fermanagh in June 2013.

Theresa Villiers: I have met a range of organisations to discuss the G8 Summit, including officials from the Association of Chief Police Officers, who represent police forces in Great Britain. Northern Ireland Office officials will continue to work closely with all partners on G8 security issues in the lead-up to the summit.

G8: County Fermanagh

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions she has had with the Northern Ireland Executive about the costs of hosting the G8 Summit in Fermanagh in June 2013.

Theresa Villiers: I have discussed the G8 Summit with Ministers from across government, including those in the Northern Ireland Executive. Officials in the Northern Ireland Office have been working closely with colleagues in the NI Executive on a range of issues including the costs relating to the Summit.

Personnel Management

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many officials in her Department were employed in human resources functions in each of the last five years; at what grades such staff were employed; and what the total cost of her Department's human resources functions was.

Theresa Villiers: Because of the devolution of policing and justice functions on 12 April 2010, and subsequent reconfiguration of the Northern Ireland Office, my Department does not hold figures for the periods prior to 2010; attempting to obtain this information would incur disproportionate cost.
	Information for the period post 2010 is as follows:
	
		
			  Number and Grade of officials Total cost (£) 
			 2010-11(1) 1 x Grade A 143,174 
			  2 x Grade C  
			  1 x Grade D  
			 2011-12(1) 2 x Grade A 215,712 
			  3 x Grade C  
			  1 x Grade D  
			  1 x Grade E  
			 2012-13(1) 2 x Grade A 177,828 
			  1 x Grade B  
			  2 x Grade C  
			  2 x Grade D  
			  1 x Grade E  
			 2013-14(2) 1 x Grade A 15,366 
			  1 x Grade B  
			  2 x Grade C  
			  1 x Grade E  
			 (1) Based on staff employed for all or part of the year. (2) Based on year to date information as at 30 April 2013.

Travel

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what her Department's budget for ministerial travel for (a) the Government Car Service, (b) private hire vehicles, (c) taxis, (d) rail, (e) aviation and (f) other is for (i) 2013-14, (ii) 2014-15 and (iii) 2015-16.

Theresa Villiers: My Department does not set an annual budget for ministerial travel. Travel is budgeted for when required in line with the business needs of the Department and is provided in the most cost-effective way available. On coming to office, this Government ended the practice of previous Administrations, including the last Labour Government, of chartering private aircraft for routine ministerial travel between London and Belfast. This has resulted in significant savings for the taxpayer.

Travel

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much her Department spent on ministerial travel by (a) Government Car Service, (b) private hire vehicles, (c) taxis, (d) rail, (e) aviation and (f) other means in each year of the current parliament.

Theresa Villiers: My Department has a contract with the Government Car Service for the supply of a departmental car for use across the organisation. Records of ministerial use of the car are not kept.
	Private hire vehicles:
	Nil spend
	
		
			 Taxi services 
			  Total cost (£) 
			 2010-11 285 
			 2011-12 415 
			 2012-13 240 
			 2013-14(1) 0 
		
	
	
		
			 Rail costs 
			  Total cost (£) 
			 2010-11 3,650 
			 2011-12 3,467 
			 2012-13 709 
			 2013-14(1) 795 
		
	
	
		
			 Aviation costs 
			  Total cost (£) 
			 2010-11 73,255 
			 2011-12 105,506 
			 2012-13 49,119 
			 2013-14(1) 5,375 
			 (1) Costs for 2013-14 are from 1 April 2013 to date. 
		
	
	On coming to office, this Government ended the practice of previous Administrations, including the last Labour Government, of chartering private aircraft for routine ministerial travel between London and Belfast. This has resulted in significant savings of taxpayers' money.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Agriculture: Employment

Andrea Leadsom: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his policy is on the promotion of jobs and growth in the agricultural sector; and if he will take steps to ensure that this is reflected in the next round of EU budget negotiations.

David Heath: We want the rural economy to grow and for farmers to be less reliant on subsidies in future. We are promoting jobs and growth in agriculture by supporting exports, investing in infrastructure, and removing regulatory burdens and other barriers.

Agriculture: Finance

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will publish details of expenditure under the Support and develop British farming programme identified in his Department's Annual Report and Accounts 2011-12 for each of the last three years; and what the projected spend for each of the next three years by (a) scheme and (b) individual project is.

Richard Benyon: holding answer 20 May 2013
	The following table sets out the breakdown, by project, of net expenditure under support and develop British farming for 2009-10 to 2011-12. This table reconciles to the Resource Departmental Expenditure Limit (DEL) table on page 54 of the 2011-12 Annual Report and Accounts.
	Figures for 2012-13 are still subject to audit and may potentially change. Therefore this breakdown is currently unavailable.
	Projected spend for future years is still being negotiated with HM Treasury, so again it is not possible to provide this detail.
	
		
			 Support and develop British farming 
			 DEL (£000) 
			  2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 
			 Crops ongoing function 8,408 5,926 5,001 
			 EU agriculture and budgetary strategy 1,063 966 1,060 
			 Evidence and knowledge base 42,679 36,494 37,069 
			 Farming for the future 6,504 9,087 6,308 
			 Food and Environment Research Agency -4,046 -416 2,374 
			 Food and farming group business support 1,447 1,412 10,870 
			 Food chain portfolio 33,663 30,891 32,278 
			 Food industry ongoing function — -1 — 
			 Food policy unit 4,847 3,261 2,159 
			 Livestock ongoing function 22,504 16,462 20,815 
			 Responsibility and cost sharing programme 1,495 706 524 
			 Rural Payments Agency 205,510 193,148 177,897 
			 UK co-ordinating body 1,678 1,695 — 
			 Central finance ongoing activity—CAP 149,346 177,205 36,686 
			  475,098 476,836 333,041

Agriculture: Subsidies

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the effect on UK farmers of the EU's decision to transfer agriculture payments from Pillar 1 to Pillar 2; and if he will make a statement.

David Heath: holding answer 21 May 2013
	The UK supports the position agreed by the European Council earlier this year, to allow the transfer of 15% of funds from Pillar 1 to Pillar 2 in the next EU financial perspective. Negotiations to agree the next CAP regulations for 2014-20 are in their final stages, and should conclude later this year.
	Transferring common agricultural policy (CAP) funds from Pillar 1 (direct subsidy) to Pillar 2 (environment and rural economy) supports UK farmers to compete and innovate, while providing the best use of taxpayers' money. Transfer from Pillar 1 to Pillar 2 also helps empower our farmers to protect and enhance our natural environment.

Air Pollution

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what specific steps the Government is taking to reduce air pollution in areas with high-pollution readings.

Richard Benyon: The UK is compliant with most EU air quality standards. However, meeting the limits for nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is challenging, especially in towns and cities. The Government has submitted air quality plans to the European Commission setting out the action being taken at national and local levels to reduce nitrogen dioxide pollution.
	Specific steps to reduce air pollution include: targeted action to accelerate the introduction of cleaner vehicles, including reduced pollution certificates for heavy duty vehicles; a Green Bus fund of nearly £100 million; and investment of over £1 billion in measures to support local sustainable transport and incentives for ultra-low emission electric and hybrid vehicles. Local authorities have responsibility for local air quality management; this now includes responsibility for public health in their areas. The Government have provided funding of over £8 million to support local measures to improve air quality since 2010. In London, the Mayor is responsible for working towards national air quality objectives and DEFRA works with him and London boroughs to improve air quality.

Air Pollution

Andrew Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will make an assessment of the potential effect of emissions of particulates from (a) biomass combustion and (b) road traffic to air quality in (i) Edmonton constituency, (ii) the London borough of Enfield, (iii) Greater London and (iv) England and Wales in each of the next five years.

Richard Benyon: Assessments of the potential effect of particulate emissions on air quality have been made for 2015 as follows:
	(a) The contribution of biomass combustion to concentrations of coarse particles (PM10, i.e. particulate matter smaller than 10 micrometers) following the introduction of the Renewable Heat Incentive scheme has been estimated as 0.044 micrograms of PM10 per cubic metre of air (microgrammes/m(3)) for Greater London and 0.036microgrammes/m(3) for England and Wales.
	(b) The total population-weighted mean concentration of coarse particles in the London borough of Enfield in 2015 has been estimated as being 17.4 microgrammes/m(3). This compares with estimates of population-weighted mean concentrations of 18.5 microgrammes/m(3) for Greater London and 15.2 microgrammes/m(3) for England and Wales for 2015. This includes the contribution from all sources, including road transport and biomass combustion, as the contribution of road transport has not been assessed separately.
	No other relevant assessments have been made for the requested areas for other years between 2014 and 2018.

Animal Welfare: EU Countries

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the animal welfare standards in other EU member states in connection with the rearing of (a) poultry, (b) beef, (c) pig and (d) sheep; and if he will make a statement.

David Heath: Over recent years, we have had regular contact with the EU Commission and member states, both at an official level and ministerial level, regarding compliance with implementation and interpretation of, EU welfare standards for laying hens, meat, chickens and pigs. These discussions are ongoing.
	Assessment of animal welfare standards across the EU is a matter for the European Commission. The Commission enforces EU law and is fully empowered to take action against member states which fail to deliver on their animal welfare obligations.
	There is no specific EU welfare legislation for beef cattle and for sheep beyond the general provisions for all farmed animal species contained in Council Directive 98/58/EC.

Bees

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the state of the indigenous bee population.

David Heath: holding answer 13 May 2013
	Monitoring to detect changes in the abundance of insect pollinators accurately is not, and has never been, carried out systematically in the UK or in Europe. Our current knowledge is derived from limited abundance surveys for some species groups or from analysis of occurrence records to identify changes in range or diversity.
	The quality of data from which population trends can be derived varies, but it is possible to make an assessment. In Great Britain there have been changes in the diversity of wild bees in recent decades, with some geographical areas showing an increase in diversity but a significantly greater area showing a decline. Declines are likely to be driven, at least in part, by contractions in the geographical ranges of specialist species that are associated with natural or semi-natural habitat or have narrow forage requirements. There is no single threat that seems to be driving the changes; intensification of land-use, habitat loss, pests, diseases, invasive species, inappropriate use of agrochemicals over the last century and, increasingly, climate change, are all thought to be playing a part.

Bees: Pesticides

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what additional work he has recently commissioned into the effects of the neonicotinoids pesticides (a) clothianidin, (b) imidacloprid and (c) thiametoxam on honeybees.

David Heath: We have the following projects under way in this area:
	PS2370 Interpretation of pesticide residues in honeybees
	This aims to assess the pesticide residue levels in apparently healthy UK honeybee colonies in urban and rural environments to determine if there is any clear correlation between the presence of pesticides and the disease status in those colonies.
	PS2376 Evaluation of procedures to improve estimates of exposure of pollinators to neonicotinoid insecticides
	This aims to access the feasibility of determining the exposure of pollinators by measuring the levels of neonicotinoids in various media. This includes pollen and nectar from oilseed rape, pollen and nectar fed to their young by pollinators such as honey, bumble and solitary bees and measuring levels in other pollinators like hoverflies.
	Further information about these and previous projects in this area can be found online at:
	http://randd.defra.gov.uk/
	The Insect Pollinators Initiative, which is part-funded by government, is also undertaking a project to look at neonicotinoids: ‘An investigation into the synergistic impact of sub-lethal exposure to industrial chemicals on the learning capacity and performance of bees’. This work is examining whether chronic exposure to chemicals used to control mites, combined with exposure to agricultural pesticides, could affect foraging, navigation and communication in bees.
	We are currently considering what further work is needed in this area, and any changes needed to existing work in the light of impending EU restrictions.

Biofuels

Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with EU counterparts on the European Commission's proposal to cap the amount of biofuels produced from food crops to 5%; and if he will make a statement.

Norman Baker: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department for Transport, and refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for East Lothian (Fiona O'Donnell) today, Monday 3 June (UIN 157576).

Bovine Tuberculosis

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how he plans to monitor (a) uptake of and (b) compliance with proposals for the voluntary risk-based trading scheme.

David Heath: We are considering recommendations for voluntary risk-based trading measures made by the industry-led Risk-Based Trading Group (RBTG) in England and will work with the livestock industry on the next steps. Once new measures are in place it will be important to monitor their uptake and effectiveness.

Bovine Tuberculosis

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the capacity of feral cats to act as a reservoir for bovine tuberculosis.

David Heath: holding answer 21 May 2013
	All mammals are susceptible (to different degrees) to the bacterium that causes bovine TB (Mycobacterium bovis). A very small number of cases of M. bovis infection are recorded in domestic cats every year in GB. The clinical presentation and the epidemiology of those cases strongly suggests that cats (including feral ones) are spillover hosts of infection in wildlife or contaminated environment and they are not considered to have a significant role in transmitting TB to cattle or other species.

Buildings

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the total running costs were for each building used, owned or rented in central London by his Department, its agencies and non-departmental public bodies, in each of the last three financial years.

Richard Benyon: The total running costs, as defined by the Cabinet Office, for the buildings used, owned or rented in central London by core DEFRA, its Executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies in each of the last three reported financial years is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Total running cost for central London buildings (£) 
			 2010-11 21,275,744 
			 2011-12 24,114,423 
			 2012-13 22,649,267 
		
	
	Since March 2010, DEFRA has vacated two central London buildings and will vacate five further buildings over the next year, bringing forecast running costs down significantly.

Conditions of Employment

Pamela Nash: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many people in his Department are employed on zero-hours contracts.

Richard Benyon: Core DEFRA does not employ any staff on zero-hours contracts.

Countryside Stewardship Scheme

Angela Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  how many Countryside Stewardship Scheme agreements providing permissive public access have been put in place since the scheme's inception; and how many hectares of land were included in each such agreement;
	(2)  what the total level of funding has been for agreements under the Countryside Stewardship Scheme providing permissive public access since the scheme's inception.

Richard Benyon: The Countryside Stewardship Scheme (CSS) started in 1991 and closed to new applications in 2004. Agreements lasted for 10 years and the last of these are due to expire in September 2014. Data are not held centrally for agreements that have expired, so it is not possible to provide the total amount of permissive access since 1991. The closest data available are for agreements providing permissive access in 2005.
	In 2005, there were 710 CSS agreements with permissive access. The total annual permissive access payments under these agreements is estimated at £11,165,230 over the 10-year-period of the agreements(1). 241 of these agreements are still running in 2013. This figure does not include one-off capital payments such as gates, stiles and benches.
	
		
			 CSS access option Number of live agreements with access option Total hectares/length 
			 Open access 183 1,747 hectares 
			 Permissive footpaths 464 599,115 metres 
			 Permissive bridleways 179 513,502 metres 
			 Paths for disabled 23 43,081 metres 
		
	
	Individual agreements can have more than one permissive access option. The total number of live agreements with access options will therefore add up to more than 710.
	(1) Estimate may not take account of changes resulting from later payment reviews, which cannot easily be calculated from historical data.

Enfield

Nick de Bois: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much funding (a) his Department and (b) each of the non-departmental public bodies for which he is responsible has allocated to the London borough of Enfield local authority in each of the last five years.

Richard Benyon: A full explanation of how DEFRA funds local authorities can be found at Section 4 of the Department's Accountability Systems Statement at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/69587/pb13805a-accountability-systems-201209.pdf
	Specific payments outside these arrangements were made to the London borough of Enfield in each of the last five financial years (2008-09 to 2012-13) as follows:
	
		
			 £ 
			  2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 
			 Core DEFRA 8,442 0 67,497 0 0 
			 Natural England 0 0 0 32,000 76,000 
		
	
	Details of the funding given to each local authority under the yearly Local Government Finance Settlement is available online at:
	http://www.local.communities.gov.uk/

Environmental Stewardship Scheme

Angela Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  how much funding for agreements providing permissive public access has been provided under the Environmental Stewardship Scheme since the scheme's inception;
	(2)  how many Environmental Stewardship Scheme agreements which provided public access have been put in place since the start of the scheme; and how many hectares of land have been included in each such agreement.

Richard Benyon: Environmental Stewardship started in 2005. From 2006, the Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) element of the scheme offered annual payments for permissive access. These were withdrawn for new HLS agreements from 1 December 2010, as part of spending review 2010 decisions, although payments continue for agreements set up before this date until their expiry. At present there are 1,292 HLS permissive access agreements.
	The total cost of annual payments under these agreements is estimated at £22,561,632, over the 10- year period of the agreements(1). This does not include payments for one-off capital items such as gates, stiles and benches.
	Only the “open access” option is measured and paid in hectares; all others are linear and paid in metres.
	
		
			 HLS access option Number of live agreements with access option Total hectares/length 
			 Open access 290 4,067 hectares 
			 Permissive paths 886 1,433,123 metres 
			 Permissive bridleways 334 1,220,163 metres 
			 Linear access for people with reduced mobility 52 52,827 metres 
			 Upgrading access for cycles/horses 20 31,352 metres 
			 Upgrading access for people with reduced mobility 8 3,756 metres 
		
	
	Individual HLS agreements can have more than one permissive access option. The total number of live agreements with access options will therefore add up to more than 1,292.
	(1 )Estimate will change over time as agreements are amended, terminated early etc.

Exports: EU Countries

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much and what proportion of all UK exports went to the EU or a country with which the EU has a free trade deal in each of the last three years.

Michael Fallon: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	The UK exports of goods and services to the EU and the countries with which the EU had a free trade agreement, economic partnership agreement, association agreement or Customs Union in force by March 2013 were as follows:
	
		
			  2009 2010 2011 
			 Value (£ billion) 230 255 280 
			 Percentage share of UK exports 57 57 57

Farmers: Bureaucracy

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to reduce paperwork and bureaucracy for farmers.

David Heath: holding answer 21 May 2013
	As part of our response to the Farming Regulation Task Force report, we are taking steps to reduce unnecessary paperwork burdens and bureaucracy on farmers. These steps include: making environmental guidance shorter, clearer and easier to find and follow; reviewing what environmental and farming information is required from businesses; and piloting a simplified approach to how businesses submit that information as part of the Smarter Guidance and Data reforms launched on 16 May 2013.
	We have also taken steps to reduce the burden of on-farm inspections for those farmers who consistently demonstrate high standards by driving forward implementation of earned recognition. Earned recognition was introduced into Dairy Hygiene inspections in 2011 reducing them by over 8,000 per year. We will publish a plan in summer 2013 setting out further opportunities for implementing earned recognition.
	We are also supporting the National Farmers Union (NFU) and local authorities in the roll out of Regional Inspection Forums. These forums are enabling farm inspectors to share more information with each other before visiting a farm helping to eliminate unnecessary duplicated inspections.

Flood Control

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to the answer of 26 March 2013, Official Report, columns 1036-40W, on flood control, if he will publish by scheme a breakdown of relevant funding from (a) public sources including his Department and local authorities and (b) private sources.

Richard Benyon: The table provided in my answer of 26 March 2013, Official Report, columns 1036-40W, details flood and coastal risk management schemes that are moving into construction in 2013-14. Of the total external contribution spend across these projects, the public contributions amount to approximately £53 million. Private contributions amount to approximately £13 million.
	Unless specific permission is obtained from the organisations in question, the Government do not release the names of organisations or the details of specific contributions to individual flood and coastal erosion risk management schemes. In some cases, the Government would be in breach of confidentiality clauses if such information was disclosed.
	Prior to partnership funding, income for schemes was not aggregated and therefore a breakdown of schemes is not held centrally.

Flood Control: North Yorkshire

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to the answer of 22 April 2013, Official Report, column 606W, on flood control, if he will publish details of the contributions to the £9.7 million scheme at Skipton, North Yorkshire by public sector bodies.

Richard Benyon: The Skipton Flood Alleviation Scheme will be funded by both the public and private sectors. Around £6 million will be funded from Flood Defence grant in aid, with a further £1.7 million from the additional flood alleviation funding announced as part of the 2012 autumn statement.
	The Environment Agency is at an advanced stage in its negotiations with other parties for additional funds.
	Unless specific permission is obtained from the organisations in question, the Government do not release the names of organisations that contribute to flood and coastal erosion risk management schemes. In some cases the Government would be in breach of confidentiality clauses if such information was disclosed.

Floods: Insurance

Iain McKenzie: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department is taking to ensure that areas of the country do not become uninsurable because of persistent flooding both in terms of flood prevention and insurance company policies.

Richard Benyon: The Government’s primary role is flood risk management. Action taken by communities, individuals, Government and businesses to reduce flood risk will continue to be the best way of keeping insurance terms affordable into the future. We are now on course to spend £2.3 billion on reducing the risk from flooding and coastal erosion in England over the four-year period to 2015. We expect to better protect 165,000 households by 2015, exceeding our current goal by 20,000. Around 64,000 homes will be better protected by the 93 new flood defence schemes starting construction this year.
	Members of the Association of British Insurers (ABI) will continue to abide by the Statement of Principles for a further month until 31 July to allow more time to reach agreement and to act in good faith towards their customers when setting the terms of policies. We have made significant progress in discussions with the ABI on how its Flood Re proposal could be made to work. This is a complex issue and no deal has been reached, but we aim to conclude negotiations as soon as possible.
	While flood risk management is a devolved issue, financial services and fiscal policy are reserved matters for the UK Government. No final decisions have been taken but discussions about flood insurance continue with the devolved Administrations.

Food

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which (a) officials and (b) Ministers in his Department comprise the team conducting the strategic review into the food chain being co-ordinated by his Department and the Department of Health.

Richard Benyon: holding answer 20 May 2013
	The independent review of the horsemeat fraud will be supported by a small secretariat of officials from DEFRA and Department of Health. The secretariat will be headed by a member of the senior civil service (PB-1) and will be supported by a team leader (grade 7), policy adviser (higher executive officer) and have administrative support (0.5 executive officer). Other officials may contribute to the secretariat, for example to provide specialist expertise, over the course of the review if required. The review will report to the Secretaries of State for Health and for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Food: Festivals and Special Occasions

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much his Department has spent supporting food festivals in (a) England, (b) Wales, (c) Scotland and (d) Northern Ireland for each of the last three years.

David Heath: DEFRA has supported 25 food festival projects during the last three years, in England only, of which 15 projects were delivered by Local Action Groups (LAGs) using local knowledge to promote community-led delivery of Rural Development Programme for England funding. The amount spent is as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
			 2010 163,126 
			 2011 163,547 
			 2012 293,980 
		
	
	Money spent supporting food festivals in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland is a matter for the devolved Administrations.

Food: Origin Marking

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much his Department has spent on helping UK food producers obtain EU protected food status for each of the last three years.

Richard Benyon: DEFRA officials provide information, advice and guidance to UK producer groups applying, or considering applying, for recognition of their products under the EU protected food names scheme. No specific funding is made available to producer groups in connection with the application and registration process, nor does DEFRA charge them any fee for the work it carries out.

Food: Production

Andrew Bridgen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of the UK's food requirement was produced within the UK in the years (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012. [R]

David Heath: The UK food production to supply ratio was 61% for all food and 75% for indigenous food in 2010, and 63% and 78% respectively in 2011. The proportion for 2012 will shortly be published in the Department's ‘Agriculture in the UK’ publication
	Food production to supply ratio is calculated as the farm-gate value of raw food production divided by the value of raw food for human consumption. The production to supply ratio therefore only provides a very broad indicator of the ability of United Kingdom agriculture to meet consumer demand. The ratio is not an appropriate measure of “food security” since it fails to account for many dimensions of this complex issue. A detailed analysis of this issue is presented in the DEFRA publication ‘UK Food Security Assessment’.

Forests

Michael Ellis: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans he has made to implement the commitment to increase the amount of woodland cover made in his recent statement on forestry policy.

David Heath: The Government and forestry sector will need to work together over the years to deliver the increase in woodland cover we want to see. We are already taking steps to implement the commitment in the Forestry and Woodlands Policy Statement, for example through supporting the sector-led ‘Grown in Britain’ initiative, which aims to make it more economically attractive for landowners to plant trees. Through the Big Tree Plant campaign we are continuing to support people and communities to plant one million new trees in England's cities, towns and neighbourhoods by 2015, especially in the areas of greatest deprivation or where there is little greenery.

Genetically Modified Organisms: Wheat

Michael Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the GM constructs encoding farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase in wheat covered by the release consent issued by his Department to Rothamsted Research, reference 11/R8/01 in 2011, is subject to patents; in which countries these were granted; and who holds each patent.

Jo Swinson: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	I refer the right hon. Member to the reply I gave on 17 April 2013, Official Report, column 490W.

Genetically Modified Organisms: Wheat

Michael Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the GM construct encoding (E)-ß - farnesene synthase in GM wheat covered by the release consent issued by his Department to Rothamsted Research, reference 11/R8/01, in 2011 is subject to patents; in which countries these were granted; and who holds each patent.

Jo Swinson: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	I refer the right hon. Member to the reply I gave on 17 April 2013, Official Report, column 489W.

Horsemeat

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what information the Food Standards Agency has received from food safety authorities in France and elsewhere in Europe in respect of samples of meat seized from the company Spanghero de Castelnaudray on 19 February 2013; and what investigations the Food Standards Agency has undertaken in respect of the mechanically removed meat in the shipment.

Anna Soubry: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department of Health.
	The Food Standards Agency (FSA) was first alerted on 22 February 2013 to the French authorities' initial findings, which suggested that a United Kingdom establishment had sent consignments of a lamb product to the French company, Spanghero de Castelnaudray, in breach of European Union food law. The FSA immediately instigated an investigation, which is ongoing. The matter was formally notified to the UK by France via the EU Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) on 27 February 2013. The FSA issued formal UK responses to the RASFF notification on 15 March 2013 and 24 April 2013. The FSA has received no information from other EU member states in this regard.

Horse Passports

Iain McKenzie: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps the Government are taking to improve the horse passport system and bring it into line with the cattle passport system.

David Heath: The Government remain committed to exploring ways to improve the horse passport system within the existing framework of European legislation, and we support the European Commission proposals for each member state to have a single passport issuing organisation and central equine database. We continue to work with the equine sector and existing passport issuing organisations on improvements that can be made to the quality of passports before the new arrangements are in place. The test and hold system for horses at abattoirs ensures that horsemeat that contains bute cannot enter the food chain.

ICT

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many (a) computers, (b) mobile telephones, (c) BlackBerrys and (d) other pieces of IT equipment were lost or stolen from his Department in (i) 2010-11, (ii) 2011-12 and (iii) 2012-13; and if he will make a statement.

Richard Benyon: Property lost or stolen is recorded as 'losses' for core DEFRA. The following table shows recorded unrecovered losses of items for the financial years 2010-11, 2011-12 and 2012-13.
	
		
			 Number 
			 Description 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 
			 Computers 10 12 13 
			 Mobile telephones 3 0 1 
			 BlackBerrys 4 9 6 
			 Other IT equipment 10 11 1

Meat

Iain McKenzie: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what new measures the Government are going to take to ensure that the transfer of information between vets and the ability to trace the origin of meat across borders will improve.

David Heath: All consignments of products of animal origin from third countries must enter the EU through a Border Inspection Post (BIP) where checks are carried out to ensure that import conditions have been met. The arrival of consignments must be notified to the BIP using the TRAde Control and Expert System (TRACES). This provides on-line information on import consignments of products of animal origin. It facilitates the exchange of information between competent authorities of animal and public health inspections and allows veterinary authorities to react rapidly to possible health emergencies.
	Meat and other products of animal origin are traded freely within the EU and the responsibility for animal and public health and food hygiene lies with the exporting member state. There are no border controls for trade between member states and EU rules permit non-discriminatory checks for compliance purposes only by the official veterinarian or local authority responsible for the establishment receiving the products.

Moths

Glyn Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the reduction in the number of moths in the environment and the potential harm this may cause to the biophysical environment that relies on pollinators;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of possible causes of the decline in the number of moths in the UK.

Richard Benyon: Data from the “Rothamsted light traps” show that there has been a change in the abundance of moths in Great Britain over the last 40 years. A greater number of species show significant declines than show significant increases.
	We do not fully understand the reasons for this change but we do know that semi-natural habitat loss and degradation is a threat to many species. We have supported research to understand how to manage habitats for moths better, for example in key woodland habitats. In addition, Natural England has initiated a review of the status of groups of invertebrates in England, including moths, to identify those at greatest threat. It is expected that this work will take three years to complete.

Phenylbutazone

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to the answer of 25 March 2013, Official Report, columns 897-8W, on phenylbutazone, what the outcome was of the 12 investigations into the validity of horse passports from horse carcasses which tested positive for phenylbutazone.

David Heath: The investigations have shown that all horse passports submitted with these animals for slaughter were issued by authorised passport issuing organisations, and there was no evidence to question the validity of the information contained within the passports.
	Summaries of the outcomes of follow-up inspections into non-compliant results under the UK's statutory residues surveillance programme, operated under Council Directive 96/23/EC, are published in papers considered by the independent Veterinary Residues Committee (VRC). These can be seen at:
	http://www.vmd.defra.gov.uk/vrc/reports/surveillance.html
	These are available in the Library of the House, as mentioned in the answer I gave on 18 March 2013, Official Report, column 530W.
	Summaries of the results of follow-up inspections of non-compliant results from the Food Standards Agency's 100% testing programme, introduced from 30 January 2013, will also be considered by the VRC and published. Information from these inspections, as well as previous ones, will provide more evidence on the most common reasons for these horses being presented for human consumption. This will help to target information campaigns to owners and their veterinarians.

Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012

Hazel Blears: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department is taking to implement the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 in its procurement procedures; and what guidance he has given to his Department's executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies on implementation of that Act.

Richard Benyon: Core DEFRA revised its core procurement instructions in January to reflect the Public Services (Social Value) Act. These instructions apply to all procurements made by DEFRA's central procurement team.
	Core DEFRA ensured that procurement colleagues in its executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies were made aware of the Cabinet Office guidance on the Act, and arranged for our legal advisers to make a presentation to them on the Act.

Reservoirs: West Yorkshire

Jason McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  whether his Department has any plans to review Yorkshire Water's proposals for the Butterley Reservoir Spillway, Marsden;
	(2)  whether the Control of Sensitive Water Company Information—Advice Note 11 empowers Yorkshire Water to withhold from the public its panel engineer's report on the Butterley Reservoir Spillway, Marsden.

Richard Benyon: DEFRA has no plans to review Yorkshire Water's proposals for the Butterley Reservoir Spillway, Marsden, and has no powers under the Reservoirs Act 1975 to do so. We would expect any proposals for the Butterley Reservoir Spillway, Marsden, to be subject to consideration through the planning process, where required.
	The Reservoirs Act 1975 provides the mechanism for the regulation of reservoirs in the interest of safety. The Secretary of State has no powers under the Act to intervene in the way reservoir undertakers ensure that their reservoirs are kept safe. Likewise, the Secretary of State has no powers under the Act to control the access undertakers allow to the reports of inspections of their reservoirs. Compliance with national security arrangements or procedures in respect of this reservoir and its spillway lies with Yorkshire Water.

Rural Areas: Economic Growth

Guy Opperman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to encourage growth in the rural economy.

Richard Benyon: Stimulating economic growth is the top priority for Government. We want to see rural areas contributing to and benefitting from that growth. We are working to improve superfast broadband and mobile infrastructure in rural communities, piloting Rural Growth Networks to test different ways of helping businesses stimulate economic growth in rural areas, while boosting key sectors such as tourism. We are also increasing export potential and unblocking barriers to growth by removing red tape.
	In Northumberland, for example, we are investing £7.03 million to improve superfast broadband. We have also provided £3.2 million to enable the establishment of the North East Rural Growth Network.

Schmallenberg Virus

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the cost of the Schmallenberg vaccine to UK farmers.

David Heath: The decision to vaccinate will be a commercial one for individual farmers to make in consultation with their vet and considering their normal management and animal breeding practices, and the likely immunity of their livestock from previous infection. This view is supported by the British Veterinary Association and the National Sheep Association.
	The vaccine manufacturer has not yet released the proposed price of the vaccine, but has said it will be in line with other vaccines that farmers choose to use in their livestock.

School Milk

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to the answer of 8 November 2012, Official Report, column 685W, on school milk, what assessment he has made of the reasons for the falling amounts of EU school milk aid claimed in 2010-11 and 2011-12.

David Heath: This scheme is driven entirely by consumption rates at schools. The amount of aid claimed and paid out by DEFRA may go up or down depending on whether education authorities, schools or parents decide to take part in the scheme.

Slaughterhouses

Susan Elan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will assess the case for changes in the laws regulating slaughterhouses and abattoirs in light of recent widespread failures to observe those laws and regulations.

David Heath: I have no plans for a specific assessment of the case for changes in the laws regulating slaughterhouses and abattoirs. However, the Food Standards Agency has commissioned an independent review into its response to the recent incidents of adulteration of processed beef products with horse and pig meat and DNA. This will make recommendations to the Food Standards Agency Board on the relevant capacity and capabilities of the Agency and any actions that should be taken to maintain or build them. This review is being led by Professor Pat Troop, with findings to be presented to the Food Standard Agency's Open Board meeting on 4 June 2013. Findings from this review will feed into the strategic review of the incident and its implications for the food chain. These reviews will help the Government establish if there are weaknesses or gaps within the current regulatory framework, and how these should be addressed to maintain consumer confidence and ensure the integrity of the meat processing supply chain.

Travel

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his Department's budget for ministerial travel for (a) the Government Car Service, (b) private hire vehicles, (c) taxis, (d) rail, (e) aviation and (f) other is for (i) 2013-14, (ii) 2014-15 and (iii) 2015-16.

Richard Benyon: Core DEFRA does not allocate budgets at this level of detail and therefore cannot provide figures.

Scotland

David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will list the legislation his Department has sponsored which has devolved powers to the Scottish Parliament and powers within such legislation since 1998.

David Mundell: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Scotland Office.
	Scotland Office is responsible for maintaining and strengthening the devolution settlement; together with lead policy Departments we have delivered a programme of Scotland Act orders that have provided additional powers to the Scottish Parliament, as well as delivering the Scotland Act 2012, which enhanced the devolution settlement and provided the largest transfer of financial responsibility since 1999.
	Further devolution to the Scottish Parliament is principally achieved by way of amendments to schedules 4 and 5 of the Act. Since 1998 the following changes to those schedules have been made. These are presented in summary form.
	Amendments to schedule 4 of the Scotland Act 1998
	Power to modify the Scotland Act 1998 regarding financial assistance for opposition parties in the Scottish Parliament.
	Powers to modify certain provisions of the Scotland Act 1998 requiring any sum to be payable out of the Scottish Consolidated Fund.
	Power to provide that proceedings brought in a court or tribunal against a member of the Scottish Government under the Scotland Act 1998 on human rights grounds have to be brought before the end of a limitation period (since repealed by Scotland Act 2012).
	Amendments to schedule 5 of the Scotland Act 1998
	Political parties
	The making of payments to any political party for the purpose of assisting members of the Parliament to perform their parliamentary duties.
	Referendum
	A power to allow the Scottish Parliament to conduct a referendum on the independence of Scotland from the rest of the United Kingdom, subject to certain conditions.
	Financial and economic matters
	Powers to set a rate of income tax to be paid by Scottish taxpayers, and taxes in relation to land transactions and landfill.
	Home affairs
	The interception of any communication made to or by a person detained at a place of detention.
	The regulation of air weapons.
	Trade and industry
	Powers in relation to business associations which are social landlords, including in relation to winding up proceedings and procedures giving protection from creditors.
	Powers to provide financial assistance for the provision of services (other than postal services and services relating to money or postal orders) to be provided from public post offices.
	Transport
	Powers to impose requirements on Scottish public authorities about the preparation and submission of strategies relating to the provision of rail services.
	Powers to transfer functions of passenger transport executives or passenger transport authorities relating to rail services, and the allocation of such functions among relevant authorities.
	The promotion and construction of railways which start, end and remain in Scotland.
	Power to impose requirements on Scottish public authorities about the preparation and submission of strategies relating to the provision of air services.
	Social security
	Powers to provide occasional financial or other assistance to or in respect of individuals for the purposes of meeting an immediate short-term need, arising out of exceptional services, to avoid risk to the individual’s well-being, or enabling qualifying individuals to establish or maintain a settled home.
	Employment
	Fire safety on construction sites and on certain premises, including those concerned in the manufacture or storage of chemicals, explosives or flammable materials.
	Amendment to part 1 of the Scotland Act 1998
	Elections
	Power to make provision as to the conduct of elections for membership of the Scottish Parliament, and the questioning of such an election and the consequences of irregularities. Made by the Scotland Act 2012 and yet to be brought into force.

PRIME MINISTER

Lord Feldman of Elstree

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Prime Minister 
	(1)  whether Lord Feldman of Elstree is classified as a Government special adviser; and whether he has been subjected to (a) all forms of personnel security control, (b) a counter terrorism check, (c) a security check and (d) developed vetting;
	(2)  whether Lord Feldman of Elstree is allocated an office in No. 10 Downing street; whether he has a Government email address; and to which Government buildings he has a security pass.

David Cameron: Lord Feldman is not employed by the Government. He does not have an office in No. 10 Downing street or a Government email address. Following the practice followed by the previous administration, the Government does not give a running commentary on security matters.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Lobbying

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister with reference to the answer of 26 March 2013, Official Report, column 1057W, on lobbying, whether he has any plans to meet with interested parties before publishing his revised proposals.

Chloe Smith: The Government is committed to introducing a statutory register of lobbyists.
	Given the complexity of the issue, we have been taking time to give the matter sufficiently detailed consideration in order to ensure that our revised proposals for a register increase transparency without placing a disproportionate burden on those affected.
	As part of the Cabinet Office's transparency programme, details of ministerial meetings with external organisations are published on a quarterly basis on the Cabinet Office website at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/cabinet-office/series/ministers-transparency-publications

Lobbying

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the regulatory impact of a statutory register of lobbyists on (a) multi-client agencies and (b) other businesses.

Chloe Smith: The Government published an impact assessment alongside their consultation on a statutory register of lobbyists. This can be found at:
	http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukia/2012/40/pdfs/ukia_20120040.pdf

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Arts

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps she is taking to support the arts sector to make an increased contribution to the economy.

Edward Vaizey: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport works with the Arts Council England and other partners to support the arts sector. Neither the Department nor Arts Council England exclusively work to increase the arts sector's contribution to the economy but, rather, to develop and sustain excellent art which can be enjoyed by as many people as possible. A happy consequence of the sector producing popular, world-leading arts and culture are the concomitant economic benefits. There were demonstrated by the recent report commissioned by Arts Council England and produced by the Centre for Economics and Business Research which presents an analysis of the contribution arts and culture makes to the national economy.

BBC

Gisela Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will hold discussions with the BBC Trust to ensure that the implementation of Delivering Quality First is in line with the BBC Charter requiring representation of (a) the regions and (b) the West Midlands and Birmingham.

Edward Vaizey: This is a matter for the BBC Trust. Within the framework of the Charter and Agreement, the BBC is editorially and operationally independent of Government and there is no provision for the Government to intervene in the BBC's day-to-day activities.
	The Midlands remains an important part of the BBC production landscape, with a range of BBC output produced in Birmingham, including The Archers, Doctors and Father Brown, and as well as broadcasting a number of local radio stations to different parts of the Midlands. In addition the headquarters for the BBC's 39 local radio stations, 42 online sites and England's 12 television regions is based in Birmingham, alongside BBC England's News and Sport online team. Birmingham is also the base for the BBC's regional news and current affairs programming for the Midlands, as well as being a key regional centre for the Asian Network.

Broadband

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps her Department is taking to achieve EU broadband targets.

Edward Vaizey: holding answer 13 May 2013
	Central and local government are investing £1.2 billion in the Government's broadband programme, which will see a transformation of broadband services in the UK by 2015, contributing significantly to meeting the EU 2020 targets. A combination of commercial and public deployments will see much greater availability of superfast broadband; 100,000 more premises each week are gaining availability; and around 50,000 connections to superfast broadband are being taken up each week.

Broadband

Stephen Mosley: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what progress she has made in ensuring that all mobile network operators are signed up to the Broadband Stakeholder Group Open Internet Code of Practice.

Edward Vaizey: Good progress has been made, with the majority of internet service providers and mobile network operators signed up to the Open Internet Code of Practice developed by the Broadband Stakeholder Group. We believe that greater consumer awareness will drive further signatories, and are pleased that all the major operators are signed up to the Broadband Stakeholder Group’s Traffic Management Transparency Code of Practice.

Broadband

Stephen Mosley: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will publish a timeline by which all mobile network operators must sign up to the Broadband Stakeholder Group Open Internet Code of Practice.

Edward Vaizey: The Broadband Stakeholder Group’s Open Internet Code of Practice is a voluntary code, which has been signed up to by the majority of internet service providers and mobile network operators. As a voluntary code, Government will not be publishing a timeline by which operators must sign up.
	However, the Government continue to urge all operators to become signatories to the code.

Broadband: Rural Areas

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether the independent assurance review of BDUK rural broadband contracts conducted by Grant Thorton identified differences in (a) charges, (b) subsidy and (c) other matters in the offers made by BT to the local authorities concerned.

Edward Vaizey: holding answer 13 May 2013
	The independent assurance review is still in progress and has not yet reported its findings.

Broadband: Rural Areas

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what progress she has made on rolling out rural broadband (a) through hard wired connections and (b) via satellite; and if she will make a statement.

Edward Vaizey: 22 (50%) of the BDUK local broadband projects have now signed contacts, which represents two-thirds of the BDUK allocated funding. The four most recently signed contracts were: Northumberland (17 April), Durham (26 April), Cheshire Councils (29 April) and West Sussex (15 May), with a combined BDUK funding allocation of £27.2 million. The first Cabinet went live in North Yorkshire in December 2012 and more have followed in Wales, Lancashire and Surrey. The number of additional premises passed supported by BDUK funding is now over 50,000. To date there have not been any additional satellite connections supported by BDUK funding, although a satellite service is already available to virtually everyone in the UK from commercial suppliers.

Culture, Practices and Ethics of the Press Inquiry

Rob Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the cost to the public purse was of fees paid to Ms Carine Patry Hoskins in her capacity as junior counsel to the Leveson inquiry on the Culture, Practice and Ethics of the Press.

Edward Vaizey: holding answer 20 May 2013
	Carine Patry Hoskins acted as counsel to the Leveson inquiry from July 2011 until November 2012. Her total fees for this period were £218,606.

Heritage Lottery Fund

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much Heritage Lottery funding was allocated to each of the principal seaside towns in England in each of the last 15 years.

Edward Vaizey: The figures for Heritage Lottery funding to each local authority in England is published on the Department's website at the following link:
	http://www.lottery.culture.gov.uk/Search.aspx

Internet

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what progress she has made on ensuring that internet operators and internet service providers sign up to the Government’s Open Internet Code of Practice; and what consequences there are for those who do not do this.

Edward Vaizey: Good progress has been made, with the majority of internet service providers and mobile network operators signed up to the Open Internet Code of Practice developed by the Broadband Stakeholder Group. The Government believe, that greater consumer awareness will drive further signatories, and are pleased that all the major operators are signed up to the Broadband Stakeholder Group’s Traffic Management Transparency Code of Practice.

Newspaper Press

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what (a) representations she has received and (b) discussions she has had on the No More Page 3 campaign.

Edward Vaizey: holding answer 15 May 2013
	I hold regular discussions with a range of stakeholders in the media and press on a range of issues, including around representation of women in the media. In addition I have received a number of letters from hon. Members and other key interested parties on the No More Page 3 campaign.

Press: Regulation

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the timescale and process is for the Privy Council to consider the cross-party Royal Charter on press regulation; and if she will make a statement.

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she expects that the royal charter on self-regulation of the press, as debated in the House on 18 March 2013, will be presented to the Privy Council.

Edward Vaizey: The 18 March cross-party royal charter meets the Leveson principles and has been agreed by the three main political parties. However, the Press Board of Finance (PressBoF) petitioned the Privy Council Office with a draft royal charter for the independent self-regulation of the press on 30 April 2013. As with all charter petitions, consideration will be given to the PressBoF charter against the criteria for charter petitions set out on the Privy Council Office’s website. The Government will not submit the cross-party charter while this consideration is ongoing.

Royal Shakespeare Company

Jonathan Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  what assessment she has made of the economic contribution of the Royal Shakespeare Company;
	(2)  what assessment she has made of the economic contribution of the Royal Opera House;
	(3)  what assessment she has made of the economic value to the UK of British orchestras.

Edward Vaizey: The economic contribution of the arts is measured in a number of ways. The Arts Council England recently published an independent report by the Centre for Economics and Business Research that showed arts and culture provided £5.9 billion of Gross Value Added in 2011. The UK's artistic and cultural sectors, combined with many world-class arts organisations remain a vital contributor to wealth generation, tourism and increasing the UK's reputation domestically and internationally for trade and visitors and Government continue to examine the value that this sector makes.

Senior Civil Servants

Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what process she plans to put in place for the appointment of a new Permanent Secretary for her Department.

Hugh Robertson: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is working with the Cabinet Office and CM I Service Commissioners on the recruitment of a new Permanent Secretary, and will conduct the process in line with the Civil Service Commissioners rules.

Senior Civil Servants

Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport with reference to the announcement of the departure of her Department's Permanent Secretary, when she expects her successor to be appointed.

Hugh Robertson: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport expects to appoint a new Permanent Secretary in the summer.

Television: Hearing Impairment

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the level of compliance of television broadcasters in respect of their obligations on the subtitling of programmes; and what steps she is taking to improve the quality of subtitling.

Edward Vaizey: Access to the television for people with hearing loss has vastly improved in the last few decades. 90% of programming broadcast by the Public Service Broadcasters (PSBs)—BBC, ITV, Channel 4, S4C and Channel 5—is required to be subtitled. These broadcasters regularly exceed these obligations, delivering such services for up to 100% of programmes.
	Many major non-PSB TV channels are required to subtitle at least 80% of their output. However, there are still many programmes that remain inaccessible due to lack of subtitles or signed interpretation, or poor quality subtitles. Ofcom, the regulator with whom the responsibility rests for setting such obligations and monitoring compliance, are now in the process of reviewing issues affecting the quality of live subtitling, from the viewer's perspective, with a view to tackling these in conjunction with leading broadcasters. Following a period of consultation which closes on 25 July, Ofcom will publish a statement on the outcome of this work by early 2014.

Television: Licensing

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will estimate the net savings to her Department in the event that the free TV licence for over 75s were to be withdrawn from those pensioners currently eligible to pay income tax at the (a) higher rate of 40 per cent and (b) additional rate of 45 per cent.

Steve Webb: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions.
	The following estimates are based on Department for Work and Pensions expenditure forecasts combined with information on the tax paid by older people from Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs Survey of Personal Incomes.
	
		
			 AME savings from withdrawing the free TV licence for those aged 75 and over from different categories of tax payers, UK 
			 £ million 
			  2013-14 
			 (a) higher rate taxpayers (40%) 20 
			 (b) additional rate taxpayers (45%) <5 
			 Total 20 
		
	
	These estimates assume that the take-up of the free TV licence for those aged 75 and over is distributed equally across the tax bands. The figures are expressed in cash terms and rounded to the nearest £5 million.

Video Games

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate she has made of the total number of hours spent by children and young people playing video games in each of the last 10 years.

Edward Vaizey: My Department has made no such estimates. However, in their research document published in October 2012, “Children and Parents: Media Use and Attitudes Report”, Ofcom made estimates of the hours of game playing per week by children aged 5-15 as in each of the years from 2008 to 2012 as follows:
	
		
			  Hours 
			 2008 8.2 
			 2009 7.9 
			 2010 7.7 
			 2011 9.2 
			 2012 8.7

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Portas Pilots

Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of progress made by the Portas pilots and their effect on high streets.

Mark Prisk: This Government believe our high streets need to adapt to changing consumer habits, especially online.
	The Portas pilots are testbeds for developing new ideas and are part of a comprehensive approach designed to strengthen local leadership, reform planning and parking policies, help small shops and boost local markets.

Business Premises

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he is taking to speed up the planning process for converting unused office buildings into affordable homes.

Nicholas Boles: New permitted development rights to allow change of use from offices to residential without the need to submit a planning application came into force on 30 May 2013. They will provide badly needed homes for local people, regenerate town centres and brownfield land and will make a valuable contribution to easing our national housing shortage.

Disabled Facilities Grants

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many Disabled Facilities Grant applications per household were approved in each local authority in England in the last three years for which figures are available.

Mark Prisk: The Department for Communities and Local Government funds the Disabled Facilities Grant, which is administered by local authorities in England and provides adaptations to the homes of disabled people to help them to live as independently as possible in their own home.
	The Department secured £725 million for the grant in the 2010 spending review for the period 2011-12 to 2014-15 and over the last two years the Government have invested a further £60 million in the Disabled Facilities Grant, bringing the total grant in 2011-12 to £200 million and in 2012-13 to £220 million.
	The Department for Communities and Local Government does not collect information on the number of applications approved annually by each local authority, but does collect information on the number of grant adaptations completed each year by local authorities via returns on the Logasnet system. Data for 2009-10 to 2011-12 have been placed in the Library of the House. Data for 2012-13 will not be available until local authorities complete their annual returns in July 2013.

Employment Agencies

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  which agencies supply staff working in his Department;
	(2)  if he will ask all agencies supplying staff to his Department whether such staff are paid at least the living wage.

Brandon Lewis: The agencies that currently supply staff to the Department are Capita Resourcing Ltd, Michael Page Finance, Square One Resources, SBS (UK), Reed Specialist Recruitment, Premier London Ltd, Manpower UK Ltd and Certes Computing Ltd. All our agency staff for consultancy and contingent labour earn above the London living wage of £8.55 per hour and the UK living wage for outside London of £7.45 per hour.
	Use of such staff for short-term or specialist work can be better value for money than hiring staff on permanent contracts. Notwithstanding, I refer the right hon. Member to my answer of 24 April 2013, Official Report, column 982W, on how we have made significant reductions to spending on consultancy costs and contingent labour.

Food Banks

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance his Department provides to local authorities on effective engagement with third sector organisations to ensure the provision and operation of good practice amongst food banks.

Don Foster: This Department provides no such guidance to local authorities. Local authorities are quite capable of working effectively with the voluntary and community sector within their local areas—whether on the provision and operation of food banks or on anything else—without top down, heavy-handed instruction from central Government.

Food Banks

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the level of local authority engagement with food bank providers in order to increase coverage and identify people and families in need of local authority assistance.

Don Foster: DCLG has made no assessment of the level of local authority engagement with food bank providers. Government trusts local authorities to make their own decisions with regard to engagement with the voluntary and community sector in their local areas.

Fracking: Planning Permission

Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will consult on new planning guidance in respect of fracking.

Nicholas Boles: The Budget Statement reported that the Government will produce technical planning guidance on shale gas by July 2013 to provide clarity for councils, local residents and firms around planning for shale gas during the important exploration phase for the industry.
	In line with the Principles set out by Lord Taylor of Goss Moor, our intention is that this guidance will be web-based. This means it will be a living resource. It will provide people with the opportunity to comment and feedback on its contents, and will make it easier to make any changes in the light of on-going practice and experience.

ICT

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many (a) computers, (b) mobile telephones, (c) BlackBerrys and (d) other pieces of IT equipment were lost or stolen from his Department in (i) 2010-11, (ii) 2011-12 and (iii) 2012-13; and if he will make a statement.

Brandon Lewis: The information requested for 2012-13 is as follows:
	
		
			 2012-13 
			 Item Lost Stolen 
			 Computers 0 5 
			 Mobile telephones 0 0 
			 BlackBerrys 1 5 
		
	
	I refer the hon. Member to my answer to him of 18 December 2012, Official Report, column 694W.
	All departmental IT is fully security encrypted.

Land and Property

Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on how many occasions each local authority in England has sought a Section 215 notice under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 in each of the last three years.

Nicholas Boles: This information is not collected centrally. Local authorities have a discretionary power under section 215 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 to deal with derelict land and buildings.

Legal Costs

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the highest day rate paid for external legal advice has been by his Department since 7 May 2010.

Brandon Lewis: The information requested is not held centrally. Legal advice is provided by counsel from the Attorney-General’s lists of Panel Counsel, who are approved to undertake government work, and whose fees are set under agreed guidelines. Legal advice is also provided by law firms through the Government Procurement Service. Fees may be charged on hourly or daily basis.

Legal Costs

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much his Department has spent on external legal advice from Queen's Counsels (a) between 7 May 2010 and 4 September 2012 and (b) since 4 September 2012.

Brandon Lewis: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Costs for external legal advice are recorded against individual barristers or against their chambers. No record is kept if the barrister is a QC at the time of giving advice.

Local Government Finance

Jesse Norman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the spending power per head for (a) Herefordshire, (b) Shropshire, (c) Cheshire West and Chester, (d) Cornwall, (e) Wiltshire and (f) West Berkshire unitary authorities was in each of the last five years.

Brandon Lewis: Spending power has been calculated only for the years 2011-12, 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2014-15 (draft). Spending power and population figures for all local authorities in England have been published on our website at:
	2013-14 settlement and draft 2014-15 settlement:
	http://www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/1314/settle.htm
	2012-13 settlement:
	http://www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/1213/grant.htm
	2011-12 settlement:
	http://www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/1112/grant.htm

Local Government Finance

Jesse Norman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the average spending power per head for English councils (a) in total and (b) in total without fire authority responsibilities was in each of the last five years.

Brandon Lewis: Spending power has been calculated only for the years 2011-12, 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2014-15 (draft). Tables for the average spending power per head and per dwelling for all local authorities in England and for all authorities excluding single purpose fire authorities are shown in the following table(1).
	
		
			  2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 
			 £/head     
			 England 1,002 951 950 918 
			 England excluding single purpose fire authorities(2) 974 923 923 891 
			      
			 £/dwelling     
			 England 2,288 2,186 2,216 2,141 
			 England excluding single purpose fire authorities 2,222 2,121 2,152 2,079 
			 (1) Figures are not comparable between years due to: (a) changes in responsibility for services for some authorities (b) a change in the definition of Spending Power for 2013-14 onwards (c) inclusion of Public Health Grant in 2013-14 and 2014-15 (2) It is not possible to exclude all fire responsibilities, as it is not possible to calculate spending power for authorities with responsibility for both fire and other services in relation to their fire responsibilities alone. 
		
	
	Every bit of the public sector needs to do its bit to tackle the deficit left by the last Administration, including local government which accounts for a quarter of all public spending.

Mortgages: Government Assistance

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many housing purchases using the Help to Buy Scheme announced in the 2013 Budget have been completed to date.

Mark Prisk: The Help to Buy: equity loan scheme will help up to 74,000 households purchase a newly built property by March 2016. There has been strong interest in the scheme with over 400 housebuilders registering to participate and purchasers placing over 1,500 reservations in the first month.
	Help to Buy: equity loan sales figures fall under the ambit of official statistics, so we will be publishing them in accordance with the UK Statistics Authority's Code of Practice for Statistics.

New Businesses: Ethnic Groups

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he plans to publish his Department's report on BME Access to Finance.

Don Foster: We aim to publish the report shortly.

Non-domestic Rates

Mark Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  when he expects to publish the regulations relating to property bids as defined in the Business Rates Supplements Act 2009; and what the reasons are for the time taken to publish the regulations;
	(2)  whether it remains his policy to introduce property bids as defined in the Business Rates Supplements Act 2009.

Brandon Lewis: Business Improvement Districts are an important tool for growth and this is already recognised by landlords who are voluntarily contributing to individual projects. In our response to the Portas Review, we committed to explore with industry experts how a formal property owner Business Improvement District scheme may be delivered within the provisions of the Business Rate Supplement Act 2009. Further to that work, we are aiming to issue a consultation paper shortly on how a scheme may work. Any legislation implementing a formal property owner Business Improvement District scheme will be subject to that consultation.

Pay

Dominic Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many employees in his Department were paid in excess of (a) £80,000 and (b) £100,000 in (i) 2012 and (ii) 2013.

Brandon Lewis: The number of employees in the Department for Communities and Local Government paid in excess of £80,000 and £100,000 per year is provided in the table. I have included comparative figures for 2009, 2010 and 2011 to assist my hon. Friend.
	
		
			  £80,000 to £100,000 £100,000+ 
			 2009 25 24 
			 2010 18 19 
			 2011 17 16 
			 2012 14 15 
			 2013 14 12 
		
	
	The figures for 2013 refer to the position as at the end of 30 April and reflect projected annual salary.
	The Department's senior pay bill has fallen by 26% in cash terms from 2008-09 to 2011-12. This illustrates the scope for sensible savings in the public sector.

Pay

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether all directly employed staff in his Department are paid at least the living wage.

Brandon Lewis: My Department has no employees paid less than the relevant living wage either in London or outside London.

Planning Permission

Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent assessment he has made of the implementation of the National Planning Policy Framework and its effects on the average number of weeks local planning authorities take to decide (a) major and (b) minor planning applications.

Nicholas Boles: It is early days, but I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 25 April 2013, Official Report, column 1128W, on the positive changes to plan making, local decision-making and approvals since the National Planning Policy Framework came into effect.
	There has been no substantive difference to decision times, but we recognise (before and after the publication of the framework) that some councils are still failing to follow statutory timetables.
	Consequently, the Growth and Infrastructure Act 2013 contains provisions to work with councils to ensure they meet statutory deadlines for major planning applications; and we are reforming secondary legislation to take uncontroversial, small-scale applications (such as small extensions and change of use) out of the full planning system.

Planning Permission

Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what status is given by planning authorities to draft neighbourhood plans, prior to referendum, in helping to determine planning applications within the neighbourhood planning area.

Nicholas Boles: Policies in an emerging neighbourhood plan may be a material consideration depending on the particular circumstances of the case. Until a neighbourhood plan has been through a referendum and becomes part of the statutory development plan, any weight it could carry in determining planning applications remains a matter for the decision maker.
	Unless material considerations indicate otherwise, decision takers may give weight to relevant policies in emerging plans according to the stage of preparation of the plan; the extent to which there are unresolved objections to relevant policies; and their degree of consistency with the policies in the National Planning Policy Framework.

Planning Permission: Fees and Charges

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the practice of local authorities charging for the discharging of conditions set in planning consents.

Nicholas Boles: Fees for the discharge of planning conditions were introduced in April 2008 under the last Administration. Further guidance on the application of such fees is set out in paragraphs 123 to 131 of the Department's Circular 04/2008: Planning related fees.
	The overall fee regime for planning services is kept under review. The Department is updating its guidance on the use of conditions as part of Lord Taylor's review of planning guidance.

Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012

Hazel Blears: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps his Department is taking to implement the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 in its procurement procedures; and what guidance he has given to his Department's executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies on implementation of that Act.

Brandon Lewis: My Department has received central guidance from Cabinet Office in a Procurement Policy Note (PPN10/12) dated 20 December 2012, has updated its internal guidance to ensure that economic, social and environmental considerations are considered and included within business cases prior to commencement of relevant procurements, and is rolling out training and awareness sessions. The central procurement policy note was issued to my Department's arm's length bodies on 4 January 2013.

Religious Hatred

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether he plans to continue support for the Tell Mama national project to support victims of anti-Muslim prejudice beyond October 2013.

Don Foster: We have given the Tell Mama project £374,564 of funding to establish itself as a sustainable community organisation. I have been very impressed by the progress they have made in their first year of operation to monitor anti-Muslim hatred, increase reporting and ensure victims receive support. I am confident that they will be able to build on the financial foundation we provided and continue to provide this service to the community.

Reservoirs: West Yorkshire

Jason McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether the Butterley Reservoir Spillway, Marsden will remain a grade II listed building when Yorkshire Water's proposed spillway works goes ahead.

Nicholas Boles: I cannot comment on the specific case as it may come before the Secretary of State for a decision at a later date. However, I can respond in general terms.
	Any works to a listed building which will affect its special architectural or historic interest will require listed building consent. In determining such applications local planning authorities are required to take account of national planning policy. This states that substantial harm to or total loss of a grade II listed building should be exceptional.
	A building will remain listed at the commencement of any works, unless, after full assessment, it is decided by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport that it has lost its special interest.

Tenancy Deposit Schemes

Pamela Nash: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many applications to the tenancy deposit protection schemes were made by (a) landlords and (b) tenants; and how many deposits were subsequently approved and paid back in (i) Wales, (ii) England, (iii) Scotland, (iv) Northern Ireland and (v) the UK in each year since 2007.

Mark Prisk: In England and Wales, more than 7 million deposits have been protected under the tenancy deposit protection schemes authorised by my Department since their launch in 2007 up to the end of March 2013. During this time there have been 91,802 cases dealt with by the free alternative resolution service offered by each of the schemes. Both parties have to agree to use this service or it is open to either party to choose to have the case heard in court instead. The disputed amount of the deposit is paid back in full, apportioned between the landlord and tenant according to the decision made by an independent adjudicator.
	The schemes that operate in Scotland and Northern Ireland are the responsibility of the devolved authorities.

Training

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many officials in (a) his Department and (b) the non-departmental public bodies for which he is responsible enrolled in publicly-funded training courses in each of the last five years; what the total cost has been of such courses; and what the monetary value was of the 10 highest training course fees in each such year.

Brandon Lewis: This Government has taken a series of steps to save taxpayers' money and improve the overall quality of the training provision.
	Civil Service Learning was established in April 2011 in response to a wide ranging review of the delivery of training across the civil service. The new model is delivering better value out of its investment in training, reducing duplication in procurement and making greater use of the external market to provide the training which the civil service requires.
	The following table shows spending on the category 'training' over the five years requested. The dip in spending in 2011-12 was a consequence of the transition from the old regime to Civil Service Learning.
	
		
			  Investment in training (£) 
			 2008-09 2,080,738 
			 2009-10 2,309,137 
			 2010-11 1,312,688 
			 2011-12 377,521 
			 2012-13 767,549 
		
	
	The number of departmental staff who enrolled to undertake publicly funded courses is provided for years 2011-12 and 2012-13 only as records of staff numbers were not centrally held before this time.
	
		
			  Number of staff enrolled for training courses 
			 2011-12 260 
			 2012-13 1,883 
		
	
	The monetary value of the 10 highest training course fees for years 2011-12 and 2012-13 is:
	
		
			  Course Name £ 
			 2011-12 Whitehall in Government programme 6,500 
			  ITIL V3 Foundation Course 6,480 
			  National School of Government—Introductory Course for Lawyers 5,280 
			  Windows Server Courses (4 course passport) 4,000 
			  National School of Government—Legal Training 3,360 
			  Introduction to Operational Research 3,125 
			  SAP Administration Course 3,000 
			  Netbackup7.0 for UNIX 2,900 
			  BPP Professional Skills Course (legal training) 2,594 
			  SAP Java Training 2,500 
			    
			 2012-13 Major Projects Leadership Academy—Said Oxford Business School(1) 30,000 
			  Legal Practice Course 13,326 
			  Leading to Transform 5,211 
			  SAP Business Warehouse (Implementation Role) 6,108 
			  SAP Business Warehouse (Implementation Role) 5,148 
			  Senior Leaders Scheme Cohort 1 5,187 
			  Whitehall in Government programme 4,500 
			  SAP TBW10 BW-Enterprise Data Warehousing 2,210 
			  SQL Server 2008: A comprehensive Hands-On Introduction 2,144 
			  BPC430 SAP Business Objects Planning and Consolidation 2,080 
			 (1) The Major Projects Leadership Academy builds the skills of senior project leaders across Government to deliver complex projects, to help save taxpayers' money from complex projects going over-budget and behind schedule and to reduce the over-reliance on expensive external consultancy. https://www.gov.uk/government/policies/managing-major-projects-more-effectively Note: Figures are not centrally held for the Department's arm's length bodies.

Wind Power: Planning Permission

Dan Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many planning applications for wind turbines have been overturned on appeal where the decision has been taken by the Secretary of State in (a) Cornwall and (b) England in each year since 2008.

Mark Prisk: holding answer 21 May 2013
	In Cornwall, since 2008, no planning applications for a wind turbine have been overturned on appeal by the Secretary of State.
	In England, since 2008, 11 planning applications for wind turbines have been overturned on appeal by the Secretary of State.
	
		
			  Cornwall England 
			 2008 0 0 
			 2009 0 6 
			 2010 0 3 
			 2011 0 2 
			 2012 0 0 
			 2013 0 0

Scotland

David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what legislation his Department has sponsored which has devolved powers to the Scottish Parliament and powers within such legislation since 1998.

David Mundell: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Scotland Office.
	The Scotland Office is responsible for maintaining and strengthening the devolution settlement; together with lead policy Departments we have delivered a programme of Scotland Act orders that have provided additional powers to the Scottish Parliament, as well as delivering the Scotland Act 2012, which enhanced the devolution settlement and provided the largest transfer of financial responsibility since 1999.
	Further devolution to the Scottish Parliament is principally achieved by way of amendments to schedules 4 and 5 of the Act. Since 1998 the following changes to those schedules have been made. These are presented in summary form.
	Amendments to schedule 4 of the Scotland Act 1998
	Power to modify the Scotland Act 1998 regarding financial assistance for opposition parties in the Scottish Parliament.
	Powers to modify certain provisions of the Scotland Act 1998 requiring any sum to be payable out of the Scottish Consolidated Fund.
	Power to provide that proceedings brought in a court or tribunal against a member of the Scottish Government under the Scotland Act 1998 on human rights grounds have to be brought before the end of a limitation period (since repealed by Scotland Act 2012).
	Amendments to schedule 5 of the Scotland Act 1998
	Political parties
	The making of payments to any political party for the purpose of assisting members of the Parliament to perform their parliamentary duties.
	Referendum
	A power to allow the Scottish Parliament to conduct a referendum on the independence of Scotland from the rest of the United Kingdom, subject to certain conditions.
	Financial and economic matters
	Powers to set a rate of income tax to be paid by Scottish taxpayers, and taxes in relation to land transactions and landfill.
	Home affairs
	The interception of any communication made to or by a person detained at a place of detention.
	The regulation of air weapons.
	Trade and industry
	Powers in relation to business associations which are social landlords, including in relation to winding up proceedings and procedures giving protection from creditors.
	Powers to provide financial assistance for the provision of services (other than postal services and services relating to money or postal orders) to be provided from public post offices.
	Transport
	Powers to impose requirements on Scottish public authorities about the preparation and submission of strategies relating to the provision of rail services.
	Powers to transfer functions of passenger transport executives or passenger transport authorities relating to rail services, and the allocation of such functions among relevant authorities.
	The promotion and construction of railways which start, end and remain in Scotland.
	Power to impose requirements on Scottish public authorities about the preparation and submission of strategies relating to the provision of air services.
	Social security
	Powers to provide occasional financial or other assistance to or in respect of individuals for the purposes of meeting an immediate short-term need, arising out of exceptional services, to avoid risk to the individual’s well-being, or enabling qualifying individuals to establish or maintain a settled home.
	Employment
	Fire safety on construction sites and on certain premises, including those concerned in the manufacture or storage of chemicals, explosives or flammable materials.
	Amendment to part 1 of the Scotland Act 1998
	Elections
	Power to make provision as to the conduct of elections for membership of the Scottish Parliament, and the questioning of such an election and the consequences of irregularities. Made by the Scotland Act 2012 and yet to be brought into force.

TREASURY

Arck

Andrea Leadsom: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effects of the collapse of Arck LLP on customers of Yorkshire Bank.

Sajid Javid: Under the Government's new framework for financial regulation, prudential regulation of deposit takers is the responsibility of the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA). It is the role of the PRA to assess the impact of the insolvency of Arck LLP on Yorkshire Bank and its customers.

Arck

Andrea Leadsom: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to ensure that a full investigation is carried out into the collapse of Arck LLP and an assessment is made of the liability of Yorkshire Bank.

Greg Clark: The Serious Fraud Office is currently investigating allegations of serious fraud involving investments made in Arck LLP, HD Administrators LLP, and other related companies.
	The Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) is investigating a number of complaints in relation to Yorkshire Bank's role as custodian to Arck LLP. It is the role of the FOS to determine the level of detriment suffered by individual investors as a result of any regulatory breaches made by Yorkshire Bank.
	The Government will be closely following the outcome of these investigations.

Banks: Loans

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what progress he has made in his discussions with banks about publishing their lending data by postcode; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  if he will request the Financial Conduct Authority to conduct detailed scrutiny of recent levels of lending by UK banks in areas of deprivation; and if he will make a statement.

Greg Clark: The Financial Services Act 2012 provides the FCA with a requirement to advance its objective of promoting effective competition in the interest of consumers. In particular, the FCA may have regard to the ease with which consumers who may wish to use financial services, including in areas of social and economic deprivation, can access them.
	The Government are working with the industry—through the British Bankers Association (BBA) and other interested parties-to secure a commitment from the banks that they will publish postcode-level lending data by institution. If it is not possible to reach a satisfactory industry led agreement, the Government will introduce amendments to the Banking Reform Bill to ensure that the data are published.

Banks: Pay

Michael Meacher: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the level of bonuses was in each of the last five years at each of the top five UK banks.

Greg Clark: This information is not held centrally. Banks have been required to publish aggregate data on bonuses since the introduction of the Capital Requirements Directive (CRD3) in 2010. These prudential “Pillar 3” disclosures concern senior management and risk-taking staff (code staff), and are publicly available on the website of each bank.

Charity Research Support Fund

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will continue to support the Charity Research Support Fund for the spending review period 2015-16.

Sajid Javid: The Chancellor of the Exchequer will present the outcome of the spending review to the House on 26 June.

Disclosure of Information

Michael Meacher: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish details of all cases of whistleblowing currently being investigated by his Department; how many such cases are not being investigated; and for what reason historical cases of offshore tax evasion have only recently been investigated.

David Gauke: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) may investigate cases where it is alleged that information held by HMRC that identifies a person has been unlawfully disclosed by a Revenue and Customs official. HMRC does not investigate cases where it is clear that whistleblowers make a lawful disclosure using the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998.
	The timing of any tax evasion investigation is dependent on when HMRC receives information that indicates suspicions that tax evasion has taken place. In relation to the major direct taxes there are timescales for the submission of relevant information to HMRC and those deadlines must have been passed before any investigation can be started.

Disclosure of Information

Michael Meacher: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will conduct an inquiry into the recent claims made that officials in his Department used powers under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 to discover the identity of a departmental whistleblower; whether such an action would be in breach of his Department's data protection guidelines; and if, at the end of such an inquiry, he will name the individuals responsible and bring forward a prosecution under the Public Disclosure Act 2012.

David Gauke: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) may investigate cases where it is alleged that information held by HMRC that identifies a person has been unlawfully disclosed by a Revenue and Customs official. HMRC does not investigate cases where it is clear that whistleblowers make a lawful disclosure using the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998.
	HMRC has assured me that when using the powers granted under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA), HMRC properly addresses the requirements of both necessity and proportionality and works within the established safeguards set out in the legislation. HMRC's use of RIPA powers is monitored by annual inspections by the Interception of Communications Commissioners Office and by the Office of the Surveillance Commissioners.

Electricity Generation

Alan Whitehead: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his estimate is of the proportion of the amount specified for the levy control framework in 2020 that will be allocated (a) to continuing funding of Renewables Obligation and Contract for Difference commitments for existing low carbon plant and (b) to new entrants.

Michael Fallon: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department of Energy and Climate Change.
	DECC's estimates do not explicitly differentiate between existing plant and new entrants. However, by comparing current expenditure with modelled spend in 2020-21, it is possible to provide an indication of their respective shares of the budget.
	Renewables Obligation spend in 2012-13 was around £1.9 billion (2011-12 prices).
	The modelling underpinning the January 2013 Energy Bill Impact Assessment suggests that total spending on the Renewables Obligation and Contracts for Difference will be approximately £6.4 billion in 2020-21 (excluding small-scale Feed-in-Tariffs), an increase of approximately £4.5 billion (2011-12 prices). We would expect all of this additional spend to support new low-carbon plant.

Financial Services

Alun Cairns: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent representations his Department has received on the Connaught Income Series 1 Fund; and what consideration he has given to role of the Financial Conduct Authority in respect of that fund.

Greg Clark: Treasury Ministers and officials receive regular correspondence on a wide range of issues. We cannot disclose details of specific representations.
	The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has kept HM Treasury officials informed about developments in relation to the failure of the fund. However, the fund itself and many of the parties involved are not regulated by the FCA.

Green Investment Bank

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will allow the Green Investment Bank access to capital markets.

Michael Fallon: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	The Green Investment Bank has been allocated £3 billion for the period to March 2015. Decisions about its funding requirements for the 2015-16 period will be taken in due course. The question of whether or not the bank should be allowed to borrow funds from the capital markets remains under consideration.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the National Audit Office’s report on HS2 and its identification of a £3.3 billion shortfall.

Danny Alexander: The Department for Transport will respond to the Public Accounts Committee in the usual way once the committee has examined the National Audit Office report. (HM Treasury has made no assessment of the National Audit Office report.)

Local Government: Rural Areas

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what role city deals will play in helping rural areas; and if he will make a statement.

Greg Clark: In July, 2012 the Government announced city deals with the eight core cities. City deals do not solely focus on their principal urban areas and we expect the benefits to be shared across the cities' wider economic functional area.
	More generally, the Government confirmed on 18 March in their response to Lord Heseltine's report "No Stone Unturned in pursuit of Growth" that building on the experience of city deals it will be negotiating "Growth Deals" with all 39 Local Enterprise Partnerships to enter into force in April 2015. This will ensure that every part of England is able to share in the benefits of our decentralising approach, for which city deals are the trailblazers.

London Finance Commission

Matthew Offord: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with the Mayor of London on the recent report to him made by the London Finance Commission.

Danny Alexander: The Chancellor of the Exchequer, along with other Treasury ministers, will carefully consider the recommendations of the London Finance Commission.

Mortgages: Government Assistance

Ann McKechin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to the answer of 25 April 2013, Official Report, columns 1148-9W, on mortgages: Government assistance, if he will confirm whether or not non-EU citizens will be barred from applying for the mortgage guarantee scheme.

Sajid Javid: The mortgage guarantee scheme is a new scheme, and the Government need to get the design right. Details on the Help to Buy: mortgage guarantee scheme will be announced in due course by HM Treasury.

Mortgages: Government Assistance

John Healey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to Table 2.1 of the Budget 2013, Red Book, HC 1033, March 2013, for what reasons the equity loan component of Help to Buy is classed as a transaction and so does not count towards public sector net borrowing; whether an independent body has confirmed such an assessment; and if he will place in the Library a copy of any such confirmation.

Sajid Javid: The Help to Buy equity loan scheme provides buyers with a maximum 20% equity loan, which they can use to purchase a new build home worth up to £600,000. The loan will be interest free for the first five years and repayable once the home is sold or after 25 years.
	The Office for National Statistics has confirmed that the Government's previous equity loan scheme (FirstBuy) is a financial transaction and that the Help to Buy: equity loan scheme should be treated in the same way.

Natural Capital Committee

Matthew Offord: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment his Department has made of the value of extending the establishment of the Natural Capital Committee.

Richard Benyon: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
	The Natural Capital Committee (NCC) is an independent Committee that reports to the Economic Affairs Committee. The NCC is due to be formally reviewed by the Government, including consideration of the value of extending the Committee's term, by the end of 2014.

Non-domestic Rates

Graham Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether charging for the use of a car park which was originally designated as free to use affects the rateable value of the land.

Brandon Lewis: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department for Communities and Local Government.
	When valuing a car park at the antecedent valuation date, the Valuation Office Agency has regard to the levels of charges/free parking generally available in the locality, the size of the car park and other physical factors. More information can be found at:
	http://www.voa.gov.uk/corporate/Publications/Manuals/RatingManual/RatingManualVolume5/sect200/rat-man-vol5-s200-pn1-2010.html
	The rating assessment of a property is an assessment of its open market rental value as at a set date. For the current rating lists this is 1 April 2008 (antecedent valuation date).
	Whether a specific occupier chooses to charge or not does not affect the rental value of a car park and therefore would not alter the assessment of that property.
	Notwithstanding, physical changes to a car park may entail “material changes of
	circumstance” which may or may not affect the valuation. However, each case will depend on its individual circumstances. Further guidance can be found at:
	http://www.voa.gov.uk/corporate/publications/Manuals/RatingManual/RatingManualVolume2/sect5/b-rat-man-vol2-s5.html

Pay

William Bain: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 15 May 2013, Official Report, column 279W, on income tax, what estimate he has made of the number of households containing children and with only one adult earning above the threshold for income tax who will earn above £150,000 in 2013 and in the 2014 financial year.

David Gauke: Due to the limitations in survey data for high-income households, this information is not available.

Pay

William Bain: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 15 May 2013, Official Report, column 279W, on income tax, what estimate he has made of the number of households containing children and with two adults each earning above the threshold for income tax who will both earn above £150,000 in 2013 and in the 2014 financial year.

David Gauke: Due to the limitations in survey data for high-income households, this information is not available.

PAYE

Liam Byrne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many businesses will be enrolled on real time information by October 2013.

David Gauke: HMRC expect that the vast majority of PAYE schemes will be reporting PAYE in real time by October 2013.
	A small number of schemes, such as care and support employers and employers with a religious objection to filing electronically will not start reporting PAYE Real Time Information until April 2014.

Personnel Management

Priti Patel: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many officials in his Department were employed in human resources functions in each of the last five years; at what grades such staff were employed; and what the total cost of his Department’s human resources functions was.

Sajid Javid: The information requested can be found in the following table which shows staff (full-time equivalents) and costs for each financial year as at 31 March.
	
		
			  Number of staff Cost (£000) Deputy director Range E Range D Range C Range B 
			 2008-09 43 3,900 1 14 7 14 7 
			 2009-10 45 3,300 1 14 4 12 12 
			 2010-11 32 2,100 1 9 4 10 8 
			 2011-12 25 1,900 1 7 4 6 7 
			 2012-13 22 1,700 1 7 4 5 5 
		
	
	Information is collected centrally on HR headcount and cost on a quarterly basis as part of the programme tracking for Next Generation HR. Cost savings for the Next Generation HR programme across Whitehall Departments is set against a baseline of 2008-09. HR activities that should be counted fall within the definition provided by the Cabinet Office publication Common Areas of Spend which can be found on the following website:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/common-areas-of-spend-data-definitions

Private Equity

Michael Meacher: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will set up an inquiry into how private equity firms marked their assets; and whether they misused fee waivers in order to avoid tax.

David Gauke: The Government are fully committed to tackling tax avoidance, taking all necessary steps to protect the Exchequer. HMRC regularly reviews all areas of the tax system to identify where aggressive tax avoidance is taking place.

Revenue and Customs

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for what reason members of the public are liable for the cost of random enquiries carried out by HM Revenue and Customs into their tax affairs when they are not found to be at fault; and if he will make a statement.

David Gauke: HMRC is responsible for the collection and management of the taxes it administers. HMRC carries out checks into returns to make sure that taxpayers are paying the right amount of tax at the right time and receiving the right allowances and tax reliefs. HMRC does not reimburse the normal day-to-day costs people incur in complying with their legal obligations. This includes the cost of normal communications, of clarifying or verifying matters, and preparing returns and the costs arising from inquiries and interventions. A random inquiry is just like any other compliance check and is undertaken in a way proportionate to the risks addressed. Inquiries are closed down promptly if no additional tax is due. A taxpayer can ask a Tribunal for an inquiry to be closed if they believe it is kept open too long.

Scotland

David Hamilton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the legislation his Department has sponsored which has devolved powers to the Scottish Parliament and powers within such legislation since 1998.

David Mundell: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Scotland Office.
	The Scotland Office is responsible for maintaining and strengthening the devolution settlement; together with lead policy Departments we have delivered a programme of Scotland Act orders that have provided additional powers to the Scottish Parliament, as well as delivering the Scotland Act 2012, which enhanced the devolution settlement and provided the largest transfer of financial responsibility since 1999.
	Further devolution to the Scottish Parliament is principally achieved by way of amendments to schedules 4 and 5 of the Act. Since 1998 the following changes to those schedules have been made. These are presented in summary form.
	Amendments to schedule 4 of the Scotland Act 1998
	Power to modify the Scotland Act 1998 regarding financial assistance for opposition parties in the Scottish Parliament.
	Powers to modify certain provisions of the Scotland Act 1998 requiring any sum to be payable out of the Scottish Consolidated Fund.
	Power to provide that proceedings brought in a court or tribunal against a member of the Scottish Government under the Scotland Act 1998 on human rights grounds have to be brought before the end of a limitation period (since repealed by Scotland Act 2012).
	Amendments to schedule 5 of the Scotland Act 1998
	Political parties
	The making of payments to any political party for the purpose of assisting members of the Parliament to perform their parliamentary duties.
	Referendum
	A power to allow the Scottish Parliament to conduct a referendum on the independence of Scotland from the rest of the United Kingdom, subject to certain conditions.
	Financial and economic matters
	Powers to set a rate of income tax to be paid by Scottish taxpayers, and taxes in relation to land transactions and landfill.
	Home affairs
	The interception of any communication made to or by a person detained at a place of detention.
	The regulation of air weapons.
	Trade and industry
	Powers in relation to business associations which are social landlords, including in relation to winding up proceedings and procedures giving protection from creditors.
	Powers to provide financial assistance for the provision of services (other than postal services and services relating to money or postal orders) to be provided from public post offices.
	Transport
	Powers to impose requirements on Scottish public authorities about the preparation and submission of strategies relating to the provision of rail services.
	Powers to transfer functions of passenger transport executives or passenger transport authorities relating to rail services, and the allocation of such functions among relevant authorities.
	The promotion and construction of railways which start, end and remain in Scotland.
	Power to impose requirements on Scottish public authorities about the preparation and submission of strategies relating to the provision of air services.
	Social security
	Powers to provide occasional financial or other assistance to or in respect of individuals for the purposes of meeting an immediate short-term need, arising out of exceptional services, to avoid risk to the individual’s well-being, or enabling qualifying individuals to establish or maintain a settled home.
	Employment
	Fire safety on construction sites and on certain premises, including those concerned in the manufacture or storage of chemicals, explosives or flammable materials.
	Amendment to part 1 of the Scotland Act 1998
	Elections
	Power to make provision as to the conduct of elections for membership of the Scottish Parliament, and the questioning of such an election and the consequences of irregularities. Made by the Scotland Act 2012 and yet to be brought into force.

Tax Allowances: Married People

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the potential financial effect on (a) married couples with children and (b) married couples without children of allowing the transfer of personal allowances between married couples;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the cost of making the personal allowance transferable between couples;
	(3)  what estimate he has made of the proportion of people who are married who would benefit from a transferable personal tax allowance; and if he will make a statement.

David Gauke: The Government are committed to recognising marriage in the tax and benefit system and will bring forward proposals in due course.
	The financial effect on recipients, the cost and the number of beneficiaries will depend on the final policy design.

Taxation: Multinational Companies

Tom Clarke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with other EU Finance Ministers to ensure that multi national corporations do not abuse financial regulations in minimising their tax obligations.

David Gauke: The Chancellor of the Exchequer regularly meets with other EU Finance Ministers and a wide range of issues are discussed. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government’s practice to provide details of such meetings.

Taxation: Retail Trade

Anas Sarwar: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps his Department is taking to ensure a level playing field in tax payments for high street and online retail businesses.

David Gauke: The UK Government have led the call for international action to address the issue of corporate tax base erosion and profit shifting by multinationals, including in relation to the taxation of digital goods and services. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development has been tasked with identifying possible options for reform and will be presenting an action plan to the G20 in July this year.
	As regards VAT, sales made over the internet are treated in exactly the same way as offline sales. Sales made by non-VAT registered retailers over the internet are not liable to VAT, but VAT-registered online sellers are obliged to charge and account for VAT in the same way as offline businesses.

Tobacco: Smuggling

Stephen Williams: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his Department has spent on salaries for full-time equivalent staff allocated to tackling tobacco smuggling (a) in total, (b) engaged in detection, (c) engaged in investigations and (d) working on intelligence matters in the latest year for which information is available.

Sajid Javid: I regret that it is not possible to provide a detailed breakdown of the total HM Revenue and Customs spent on salaries for full time equivalent staff allocated to tackling tobacco smuggling in the way requested. To the extent that we are able to break down expenditure on tobacco related activity, this is detailed as follows.
	
		
			 HMRC Activity Salary cost 2012-13 (£) 
			 Investigation (includes detection, criminal investigation, and specialist civil investigation) 23,654,527 
			 Risk and Intelligence 8,446,533 
			 Other 3,633,330 
			 Total 35,734,390 
			 Note: Figures are provisional.

Travel

Priti Patel: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many officials in (a) his Department and (b) the non-departmental public bodies for which he is responsible claimed reimbursement for travel subsistence expenses in each of the last five years; what the total cost was of such claims; and what the monetary value was of the 20 highest subsistence claims in each such year.

Sajid Javid: The total number of officials who have claimed reimbursement for travel, subsistence and expenses during the past five years within the Department and its non departmental bodies was 1,850; the total cost was £2,978,469. The following table provides a breakdown of these costs by financial year.
	All staff must refer to the Department's travel and subsistence guidance when making expense claims, which is in place to ensure that public money and other resources are used properly and efficiently. The Treasury's rules on travel and expenses spending were tightened in July 2010 by the Chancellor and the Permanent Secretary.
	
		
			 Financial year Reimbursement claimed (£) 
			 2008-09 625,412 
			 2009-10 688,235 
			 2010-11 585,308 
			 2011-12 557,237 
			 2012-13 522,277 
		
	
	The 20 highest claims in each year can be found in the following table.
	
		
			  Highest claims (£) 
			 2008-09 5,729.53 
			  3,465.76 
			  3,285.00 
			  3,156.08 
			  3,006.56 
			  2,888.64 
			  2,792.03 
			  2,526.90 
			  2,014.89 
			  1,797.90 
			  1,724.07 
			  1,723.82 
			  1,708.75 
			  1,645.62 
			  1,606.53 
			  1,574.18 
		
	
	
		
			  1,554.77 
			  1,535.94 
			  1,506.44 
			  1,499.78 
			 Total 46,743.19 
			   
			 2009-10 5,061.30 
			  4,567.62 
			  4,023.29 
			  3,827.45 
			  3,717.04 
			  3,461.88 
			  3,445.92 
			  3,387.00 
			  3,088.01 
			  2,938.64 
			  2,721.25 
			  2,516.76 
			  2,483.20 
			  2,416.53 
			  2,391.14 
			  2,265.66 
			  2,229.04 
			  2,159.26 
			  2,065.00 
			  2,037.44 
			 Total 50,546.34 
			   
			 2010-11 3,051.16 
			  3,051.16 
			  2,844.38 
			  2,805.98 
			  2,667.22 
			  2,667.22 
			  2,667.22 
			  2,667.22 
			  2,667.22 
			  2,667.22 
			  2,667.22 
			  2,667.22 
			  2,667.22 
			  2,162.65 
			  2,096.55 
			  1,961.54 
			  1,961.54 
			  1,961.54 
			  1,961.54 
			  1,937.11 
			 Total 46,748.97 
			   
			 2011-12 4,683.00 
			  4,683.00 
			  2,900.25 
			  2,900.25 
			  2,900.25 
		
	
	
		
			  2,900.25 
			  2,550.09 
			  2,550.09 
			  2,550.09 
			  2,462.62 
			  2,462.62 
			  2,084.45 
			  2,084.45 
			  2,081.69 
			  2,028.41 
			  1,821.65 
			  1,784.84 
			  1,784.84 
			  1,784.84 
			  1,776.84 
			 Total 50,774.52 
			   
			 2012-13 4,958.10 
			  2,789.11 
			  2,569.29 
			  2,192.42 
			  2,192.42 
			  2,192.42 
			  2,043.08 
			  1,970.40 
			  1,934.00 
			  1,923.52 
			  1,912.58 
			  1,892.78 
			  1,891.99 
			  1,830.88 
			  1,830.88 
			  1,830.88 
			  1,802.78 
			  1,630.85 
			  1,630.85 
			  1,630.85 
			 Total 42,650.08 
			 Note: The Royal Mint Advisory Committee has been excluded from the data for NDPBs as the Committee is not funded by the Treasury.

VAT: High Speed 2 Railway Line

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the HS2 project will be subject to VAT; and if he will make a statement.

Danny Alexander: HM Revenue and Customs will determine whether HS2 Ltd can reclaim VAT on relevant future expenditure in accordance with the usual rules for VAT recovery.

Welfare Tax Credits

William Bain: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 15 May 2013, Official Report, column 279W, on income tax, what estimate he has made of the number of households containing children and with only one adult earning above the threshold for income tax who will (a) be in receipt of tax credits and (b) not be in receipt of tax credits in the (i) current and (ii) 2014 financial year.

David Gauke: The following table gives the number of households containing children, and only one adult earning above the personal allowance, who are and are not in receipt of working or child tax credits. This includes households with both single and couple parents.
	
		
			  2013-14 (personal allowance = £9,440) 2014-15 (personal allowance = £10,000) 
			 Not in receipt of tax credits 1,289,000 1,345,000 
			 In receipt of tax credits 1,641,000 1,588,000 
			 All 2,931,000 2,963,000 
		
	
	Figures are rounded to the nearest thousand; totals may not sum due to rounding. HM Treasury’s modelling assumes full take of the benefits to which an individual is entitled; therefore, all households with children with incomes below the personal allowance are entitled to child tax credits.

HEALTH

Abortion: Young People

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what proportion of abortions were performed on (a) children under 13 years old, (b) 13 to 15 years olds and (c) 16 to 18 year olds in the smallest geographical NHS area for which information is available in (i) 2012, (ii) 2010 and (iii) 2008.

Anna Soubry: Data are set out in the following tables. Data for 2012 are not yet available; data for 2011 (the most recent published) have been shown instead.
	
		
			 Abortions: totals, rates and percentages, by age groups under 19 and strategic health authority 2008 
			   Total abortions Percentages of total 
			   Under 13 13 to 15 16 to 18 Total all Under 13 13 to 15 16 to 18 All ages 
			 England and Wales  7 4,106 26,541 195,296 0 2 14 100 
			           
			 England  7 3,877 25,115 186,218 0 2 13 100 
			  North East 1 240 1,240 7,482 0 3 17 100 
			  North West 0 608 3,875 25,019 0 2 15 100 
			  Yorkshire and the Humber 1 478 2,583 16,699 0 3 15 100 
			  East Midlands 1 314 1,906 12,409 0 3 15 100 
			  West Midlands 0 464 3,037 20,476 0 2 15 100 
			  East of England 1 312 2,288 16,460 0 2 14 100 
			  London 3 603 4,587 48,679 0 1 9 100 
			  South East Coast 0 281 1,899 13,248 0 2 14 100 
			  South Central 0 250 1,537 11,934 0 2 13 100 
			  South West 0 327 2,163 13,812 0 2 16 100 
			 Wales  0 229 1,426 9,078 0 3 16 100 
		
	
	
		
			 Abortions: totals, rates and percentages, by age groups under 19 and strategic health authority 2010 
			   Total abortions Percentages of total 
			   Under 13 13 to 15 16 to 18 Total all Under 13 13 to 15 16 to 18 All ages 
			 England and Wales  2 3,716 22,870 189,574 0 2 12 100 
			           
			 England  2 3,499 21,664 180,942 0 2 12 100 
			  North East 1 217 1,016 7,029 0 3 14 100 
			  North West 0 553 3,395 24,933 0 2 14 100 
			  Yorkshire and the Humber 1 407 2,130 15,547 0 3 14 100 
			  East Midlands 0 291 1,551 11,869 0 2 13 100 
			  West Midlands 0 455 2,576 20,331 0 2 13 100 
			  East of England 0 313 2,155 16,829 0 2 13 100 
			  London 0 502 3,911 46,686 0 1 8 100 
			  South East Coast 0 255 1,783 13,200 0 2 14 100 
			  South Central 0 194 1,301 11,533 0 2 11 100 
			  South West 0 312 1,846 12,985 0 2 14 100 
			 Wales  0 217 1,206 8,632 0 3 14 100 
		
	
	
		
			 Abortions: totals, rates and percentages, by age groups under 19 and Strategic Health Authority 2011 
			   Total abortions Percentages of total 
			   Under 13 13 to 15 16 to 18 Total all Under 13 13 to 15 16 to 18 All ages 
			 England and Wales  7 3,251 20,645 189,931 0 2 11 100 
			           
			 England  6 3,085 19,611 181,438 0 2 11 100 
			  North East 0 187 899 7,003 0 3 13 100 
			  North West 0 505 3,039 24,784 0 2 12 100 
			  Yorkshire and the Humber 1 339 1,815 14,760 0 2 12 100 
			  East Midlands 1 233 1,408 11,865 0 2 12 100 
			  West Midlands 1 354 2,488 20,983 0 2 12 100 
			  East of England 0 292 1,936 16,729 0 2 12 100 
			  London 1 466 3,528 46,800 0 1 8 100 
			  South East Coast 1 245 1,614 13,153 0 2 12 100 
			  South Central 0 208. 1,181 12,002 0 2 10 100 
			  South West 1 256 1,703 13,359 0 2 13 100 
			 Wales  1 166 1,034 8,493 0 2 12 100

Cancer

Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the extent to which clinical commissioning groups have taken on the role of ensuring that GPs and GPs with a special interest who diagnose, manage and excise low-risk basal cell carcinomas in the community are fully accredited to do so, as recommended by the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence's 2010 guidance on the management of low-risk basal cell carcinomas in the community. [R]

Daniel Poulter: It is for NHS England and clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) to ensure those who they contract with are suitably qualified to carry out the services for which they are engaged. The Secretary of State for Health, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), has regular accountability and assurance meetings with NHS England.
	The current framework for the accreditation and re-accreditation of general practitioners with a special interest remains under review following the transition to the arrangements for NHS services in England. Within NHS England this work is being led by Dr Mike Bewick, one of NHS England's two Deputy National Medical Directors. Decisions on future arrangements will be confirmed in due course.

Cancer: Scotland

Ian Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information his Department holds on the number of people resident in Scotland who travelled to England to receive drugs for cancer treatment free of charge which are not available in Scotland.

Anna Soubry: The Department holds no information on the number of people resident in Scotland who travelled to England to receive drugs for cancer treatment, free of charge, that were not available in Scotland.
	Local commissioners should satisfy themselves that the patients they fund treatment for are eligible to receive that treatment.

Conditions of Employment

Pamela Nash: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many officials in his Department are employed on zero hours contracts.

Daniel Poulter: The Department does not have any officials employed on zero hours contracts.

David Nicholson

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much in (a) salary and (b) other benefits David Nicholson has received since becoming chief executive of the NHS in 2006.

Daniel Poulter: Sir David Nicholson's remuneration and other benefits have been published annually in the Department's resource accounts.

David Nicholson

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what (a) pension, (b) one-off payments and (c) other benefits David Nicholson will receive when he steps down as chief executive of NHS England next year.

Daniel Poulter: Sir David Nicholson will not receive any benefits when he steps down as chief executive of NHS England next year. Sir David’s pension and related pension benefits will be subject to the relevant scheme rules at the time he opts to access his pension.

David Nicholson

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what (a) salary and (b) other benefits David Nicholson, chief executive of the NHS, will receive up to his proposed retirement in March 2014.

Daniel Poulter: Sir David Nicholson’s current remuneration is published in the Departmental Resource Accounts.
	The Permanent Secretaries Remuneration Committee (PSRC) makes decisions about uplifts to Permanent Secretaries’ base pay and non-consolidated performance related payment arrangements. The PSRC have not published their recommendations for this year as yet and the Department is not able to confirm whether there will be any changes to Sir David’s remuneration before he steps down as chief executive of NHS England.

David Nicholson

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether David Nicholson, Chief Executive of the NHS, will have any responsibility for choosing his successor as chief executive of NHS England.

Daniel Poulter: The Health and Social Care Act 2012 provides for the chief executive of NHS England to be appointed by the non-executive board members, subject to the consent of the Secretary of State.

Dementia

Jessica Lee: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he plans to take to ensure that (a) newly diagnosed dementia patients and (b) those who would benefit from an early diagnosis of dementia receive the support and care that they need.

Norman Lamb: In March last year, the Prime Minister launched his Challenge on Dementia to tackle one of the most important issues we face as the population ages. The Challenge is an ambitious programme of work designed to make a real difference to the lives of people with dementia and their families and carers.
	The Prime Minister's Challenge on Dementia sets out renewed ambition to go further and faster, building on progress made through the National Dementia Strategy, to secure greater improvements in dementia care and research so that people with dementia, their carers and families get the services and support they need from a trained and aware workforce.
	Dementia has been prioritised by both the Department through the NHS Mandate and by NHS England through their planning guidance. NHS England has announced the ambition to increase diagnosis rates to two-thirds by 2015.
	From April 2013, as part of the NHS Health Check programme, people aged 65 to 74 will be given information at the time of the risk assessment to raise their awareness of dementia and the availability of memory services. This will help to ensure that people with dementia are diagnosed at an earlier stage.
	As part of the Prime Minister's Challenge, we have developed the Dementia Care and Support Compact. The purpose of the Care and Support Compact with major care providers is to improve care and support for people with dementia living at home and in care homes.
	The Compact focuses on quality of life for people with dementia and the delivery of relationship-based care and support, for example working with commissioners of care for people with dementia to ensure that they commission quality services appropriately. Currently 148 signatories, representing almost 3,000 care services, have signed up to the Compact and we want to see this number increase to demonstrate the commitment the sector has to improving care for people with dementia.

Dermatology

Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reason dermatology has not yet been allocated a national clinical director.

Norman Lamb: NHS England has advised that there are no plans to introduce a National Clinical Director (NCD) for dermatology. However, we are informed that NHS England is continuing to have discussions with the British Association of Dermatology about the best ways to improve outcomes for patients with skin conditions.
	NHS England is accountable for improving outcomes for patients across all five domains on the NHS Outcomes Framework. The Mandate for NHS England sets out the improvements in health and health care outcomes that the national health service is expected to deliver. It is for NHS England to decide how they achieve the objectives set out in the Mandate.
	Aspects of treatment of people with skin conditions could be considered under any of the five domains. This new approach from the national health service focuses on people as individuals rather than on the conditions from which they may be suffering, and on the patient pathway rather than the organisations which treat them.
	Many of the NCDs have cross-cutting roles rather than roles that are related to individual medical conditions.

Down's Syndrome

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the annual cost to the NHS is of first blood tests, ultra sound scans, amniocenteses, midwife time explaining tests, counselling and abortion costs for the diagnosis of and screening for Down's syndrome.

Daniel Poulter: The National Health Service Foetal Anomaly Screening Programme (FASP) includes screening for Down's syndrome.
	NHS FASP does not routinely collect data relating to the number and associated costs of Down's syndrome screening in England on an annual basis. However, an exercise to assess these costs was undertaken in 2010-11 using three sets of birth estimates from 2009. The costs were estimated to range from £29 million to £31.1 million. Using the base case estimate of 671,000 births, this identified that total costs to the NHS including first blood tests, ultrasound scans, amniocenteses, midwife time explaining the tests, counselling and termination of pregnancy, where this was the woman's choice following diagnosis, was approximately £29.9 million.
	These figures also include the costs where women, following diagnosis, choose to continue pregnancy to birth. This totals £1.37 million. Therefore the total screening pathway cost if this is removed would be £28.5 million.
	The estimated cost breakdown information across the range of three birth estimates of 650,000, 671,000 and 700,000 births is contained in the decision planning tool for the Down's syndrome current strategy for England on three birth estimates for 2009 as shown in the following table.
	The figures in this basic model have been taken from the Decision Planning Tool (NHS FASP/PenTAG & KTP) model for Down's Screening current strategy, which was run for England on three birth estimates for 2009.
	
		
			 £ 
			  Base case Lower Upper 
			 Estimates of birth used 671,058 650,000 700,000 
			  2009-10 prices 2010-11 uplift 2009-10 prices 2010-11 uplift 2009-10 prices 2010-11 uplift 
			 Central coordination 1,895,735 2,000,000 1,895,735 2,000,000 1,895,735 2,000,000 
			 Total screening strategy from the offer to the screening results 17,080,673 18,020,110 16,544,677 17,454,634 17,817,344 18,797,298 
			 Invasive diagnostic procedure (CVS / amniocentesis) 7,802,120 8,231,237 7,557,287 7,972,938 . 8,138,617 8,586,241 
			 Cost of healthy foetal loss 93,600 98,748 90,663 95,649 97,637 103,007 
			 Cost of those T+ who terminate 486,739 513,510 471,461 497,391 507,732 535,657 
			 Total cost of T21 screening population live births 983,759 1,037,866 952,889 1,005,298 1,026,188 1,082,628 
			 Total screening pathway cost 28,342,626 29,901,470 27,512,712 29,025,911 29,483,253 31,104,831

Down's Syndrome

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the Government spend annually on research into Down's syndrome.

Daniel Poulter: In 2012-13, the Department's National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) spent £1.2 million on research relating to Down's syndrome through research programmes and research training awards. Total spend by the NIHR on research relating to Down's syndrome is higher than this because expenditure by the NIHR Clinical Research Network (CRN) on this topic cannot be disaggregated from total CRN expenditure.
	The Medical Research Council (MRC) is one of the main agencies through which the Government support medical and clinical research. It is an independent research funding body which receives its grant in aid from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. In 2012-13 the MRC spent £564,000 on research into Down's syndrome.

Drugs: Rehabilitation

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance his Department issues on the professional qualifications required to run a drug rehabilitation centre; and if he will make a statement.

Anna Soubry: All residential rehabilitation centres need to be registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and managers of CQC-registered services also need to be registered with the CQC. This registration process for all managers is to ensure that people who use services are safeguarded.
	There is no specific qualification required to run a residential rehabilitation centre, but individual managers must demonstrate to the CQC that they comply with the relevant regulations and are fit to be a registered manager.

Drugs: Rehabilitation

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what reports he has received on the practice of London local authorities outsourcing drug addicts to private rehabilitation programmes in local authorities outside London without informing the local authority where the programme is based; and if he will make a statement.

Anna Soubry: Removing someone from their community, and the associated triggers for drug use, can help them in their recovery. London local authorities, as with local authorities across the country, often commission placements from residential rehabilitation units outside their area. By commissioning placements from a range of different providers there is choice for those assessed as needing residential rehabilitation.
	There is no specific requirement for the local authority commissioning an out-of-area placement to notify the local authority where the programme is based. A patient's care plan should include what would happen if they were to drop out of the treatment programme, which may include notifying the local authority.

Drugs: Rehabilitation

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what recent steps he has taken to help local authorities better work with drug rehabilitation centres;
	(2)  what powers are available for local authorities to monitor the standards of drug rehabilitation centres; and if he will make a statement.

Anna Soubry: On 1 April, the Government transferred responsibility for commissioning specialist treatment for dependence on drugs and alcohol to local authorities who are supported in this role by Public Health England. Local authorities can use the tendering and contracting processes to establish how they will monitor the quality of services which they are commissioning. In addition, service providers are subject to the usual local authority requirements applicable to their particular sphere of activity, which could include trading standards and environmental health.

Fast Food

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the answer of 26 February 2013, Official Report, column 171, on fast food and asthma, if his Department will take forward the findings of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood on fast food with the relevant Public Health Responsibility Deal partners.

Anna Soubry: We note with interest the report by the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood on fast food. We have no plans to discuss this report with the relevant Public Health Responsibility Deal partners. The purpose of the Public Health Responsibility Deal is to develop action by business to help address major behavioural risk factors such as poor diet.

Fidaxomicin

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what steps he is taking to circulate the new Health Protection Agency guidance on fidaxomicin amongst clinical professionals;
	(2)  what steps he is taking to publicise the new Health Protection Agency guidance on clostridium difficile and the antibiotic fidaxomicin.

Anna Soubry: Public Health England (the Health Protection Agency has been incorporated into Public Health England) published the document ‘Updated Guidance on the Management and Treatment of Clostridium difficile Infection’, which includes information on fidaxomicin, on the Health Protection Agency legacy website earlier this month. The guidance is being disseminated via Public Health England Centres across England. The centres have been asked to share the new publication with their national health service colleagues.
	In line with recent evidence, the guidance recommends that fidaxomicin should be considered for patients with severe Clostridium difficile infection who are considered at high risk for recurrence.

General Practitioners

Andrew Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of appointments with GPs were made online in (a) Harrogate and Knaresborough constituency, (b) Yorkshire and the Humber and (c) England in (i) 2010, (ii) 2012 and (iii) 2013.

Daniel Poulter: NHS England have advised that information is not currently collected about the number of patients that are using the online facilities.
	However, the latest version of the NHS publication “the quarter” (page 43) has details of national data setting out the numbers of practices that have the functionality for patients to be able to book and cancel appointments electronically. This is available at:
	www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment__data/file/175648/The_Quarter_3_Q3_2012-13.pdf
	The Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) and NHS England are currently working on extra details to build on these data which will be available in due course.
	NHS England have advised that in quarter 3 of 2012-13:
	73% of practices in the old North Yorkshire and York Primary Care Trust (PCT) area;
	48% of practices in the old Yorkshire and The Humber Strategic Health Authority (SHA) area; and
	37% of practices in England
	have functionality for patients to be able to book and cancel appointments.
	The Health and Social Care Information Centre has provided a further breakdown of the information covering online appointment functionality enabled by patient and general practitioner practice:
	
		
			 Q2 2012-13 
			  North Yorkshire and York PCT Yorkshire and the Humber SHA England 
			 Total registered patients (number) 803,171 5,498,300 55,668,718 
			 Percentage of patients at enabled practices 82 57 45 
			 Total practice count (number) 98 781 8,031 
			 Percentage of enabled practices 73 49 37 
		
	
	
		
			 Q3 2012-13 
			  North Yorkshire and York PCT Yorkshire and The Humber SHA England 
			 Total registered patients (number) 805,946 5,528,448 56,063,938 
			 Percentage of patients at enabled practices 81 56 45 
			 Total practice count (number) 98 784 8,058 
			 Percentage of enabled practices 73 48 37 
		
	
	
		
			 Q4 2012-13 
			  North Yorkshire and York PCT Yorkshire and The Humber SHA England 
			 Total registered patients (number) 805,934 5,516,031 55,737,988 
			 Percentage of patients at enabled practices 81 59 47 
			 Total practice count (number) 97 780 7,974 
			 Percentage of enabled practices 73 52 40 
			 Notes: 1. Numbers and percentages of patients shown are those registered at practices which have enabled the functionality for these services—not the numbers of patients who have requested or been given access to these services. 2. North Yorkshire and York PCT includes the Harrogate and Knaresborough parliamentary constituency. 
		
	
	This information is available at the HSCIC website:
	https://indicators.ic.nhs.uk/webview/

General Practitioners

Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the answer of 7 January 2013, Official Report, column 102W, on general practitioners, what progress has been made on renewal of the framework governing the accreditation and re-accreditation of GPs with a special interest; and who is now responsible for the accreditation and re-accreditation of GPs with a special interest in dermatology. [R]

Daniel Poulter: NHS England has advised that the current framework for the accreditation and re-accreditation of general practitioners with a special interest remains under review following the transition to the arrangements for NHS services in England. Within NHS England this work is being led by Dr Mike Bewick, one of NHS England's two Deputy National Medical Directors. Decisions on future arrangements will be confirmed in due course.

Genito-urinary Medicine

Margaret Curran: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what warnings the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency has issued in respect of transvaginal mesh implants;
	(2)  how many women have reported concerns over transvaginal mesh implants to the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (a) in total and (b) from Scotland;
	(3)  how many clinicians have reported concerns over transvaginal mesh implants to the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (a) in total and (b) from Scotland;
	(4)  whether the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency has commissioned any studies on transvaginal mesh implants.

Daniel Poulter: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has not issued any warnings in respect of transvaginal mesh implants.
	From 1 January 2005 to 31 March 2013 the MHRA received adverse incident reports from the following numbers of women related to transvaginal mesh implants:
	(a) 95 in total in the United Kingdom
	(b) seven women reported from Scotland
	From 1 January 2005 to 31 March 2013 the MHRA received adverse incident reports from the following numbers of ‘professional users’ related to transvaginal mesh implants:
	(a) 37 in total in the UK, of which 26 were clinicians according to their stated position/occupation (this includes doctors and nurses)
	(b) two in Scotland, of which one was a clinician according to their stated position/occupation
	In February 2012, the MHRA commissioned an independent review from York University Health Economics Consortium of the published literature in the last 10 years on the most frequently reported adverse events associated with vaginal tape/sling/mesh implants used for stress urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse. The review was published on the MHRA website on 22 November 2012.

Heart Diseases

Jake Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to inform people how they can increase their chance of surviving a heart attack.

Anna Soubry: Information is given on the NHS Choices website advising that people who think they or someone else is having a heart attack should immediately call 999. The website also sets out advice on giving aspirin to people having a heart attack.
	In some cases, heart attacks develop complications which may lead to cardiac arrest. As set out in the Cardiovascular Disease Outcomes Strategy, more lives could be saved if the public were better informed about what to do if they witness a cardiac arrest. Bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation can double survival rates yet is only attempted in 20% to 30% of cases. To address this, NHS England will work with the Resuscitation Council, the British Heart foundation and others to consider ways of increasing the numbers of people trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Heart Diseases: Children

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to receive the final report of the Independent Reconfiguration Panel examining the report of the Safe and Sustainable Review into Children's Heart Surgery.

Anna Soubry: The Independent Reconfiguration Panel submitted its report on the safe and sustainable review of children's congenital heart services to the Secretary of State for Health, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), on 30 April 2013.
	The Secretary of State is considering the report and will make his decision known in due course.

Heart Diseases: Rossendale

Jake Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost to the NHS was of treating patients with coronary heart disease in Rossendale and Darwen constituency in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012.

Anna Soubry: The information requested is not centrally available. The cost to the national health service of the treatment of coronary heart disease in primary and secondary care is not reported to the Department.

Herbal Medicine

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  when he plans to bring forward proposals to bring practitioners of herbal medicine within the regime of statutory control; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  whether he plans to compensate small businesses that are specialist manufacturers of herbal remedies for any damage done to their businesses by practitioners of herbal medicine not being within the regime of statutory control;
	(3)  what recent representations he has received from hon. Members on proposals to bring practitioners of herbal medicine within the regime of statutory control.

Daniel Poulter: The legislation around this policy is complex and has required consideration of a number of difficult issues. We appreciate that the delay in going out to consult on this matter is causing concern, however, it is important that any new legislation is proportionate and fit for purpose. There are no grounds for compensating small businesses.
	The Department has received a number of representations from hon. Members, peers and interested parties in the field and it will make an announcement on this policy shortly.

Horsemeat

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what expenditure his Department has incurred in respect of (a) equine DNA and (b) phenylbutazone testing in (i) phase 1, (ii) phase 2 and (iii) phase 3 of the EU co-ordinated testing regime.

Anna Soubry: The Food Standards Agency (FSA) set up a United Kingdom-wide sampling programme of beef products in early 2013, initially in two phases. Products were tested for both horse and pig DNA and, where horse DNA was found, further analysis was carried out for phenylbutazone. Recommendation 2013/99/EU established an European Union wide co-ordinated control plan, in which member states were asked to test certain foods marketed and/or labelled as containing beef for the presence of horse DNA. These sampling requests were incorporated into the UK survey as a third phase.
	The FSA has met the following combined costs of analytical testing for horse DNA and phenylbutazone residues in the various phases:
	(i) Phase 1: £102, 600
	(ii) Phase 2: £ 66, 800
	(iii) Phase 3: £74,300
	(Costs for phases 1 and 2 include testing for pig DNA).
	The European Union is providing partial reimbursements to member states to cover the costs of the horse DNA tests carried out under Recommendation 2013/99/EU, up to €300 per test. The FSA is in the process of submitting an application for this contribution towards the 150 UK samples taken in phase 3.

Hospitals: Admissions

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his contribution of 13 May 2013, Official Report, column 352, what the source is of his quoted figures on hospital admissions between 2001 and 2009.

Anna Soubry: Department of Health Monthly Monitoring Return and Monthly Activity Return data show that emergency admissions increased by 36% between 2001 and 2010. The information is shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Calendar year Non-elective general and acute first finished consultant episodes 
			 2001 3,966,226 
			 2002 3,985,862 
			 2003 4,173,309 
			 2004 4,334,710 
			 2005 4,625,585 
			 2006 4,711,161 
			 2007 4,808,190 
			 2008 4,998,308 
			 2009 5,219,512 
			 2010 5,401,201 
			   
			 Growth from 2001 to 2010 (percentage) 36.2 
			 Source: Department of Health Monthly Monitoring Return (period 2001-02 to 2006-07 and Monthly Activity Return (period 2007-08 to 2011-12)

Hospitals: Food

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of food procured by hospitals came from UK food producers in the latest period for which figures are available.

Anna Soubry: Information on the origin of food procured by all hospitals is not held centrally by the Department.
	However, we can confirm that in 2012 64.5% of food supplied to the national health service under national procurement arrangements managed by NHS Supply Chain, was from United Kingdom food producers.
	This percentage is based on those food commodities which are practical to produce in the UK. Food supplied under NHS Supply Chain purchasing arrangements accounts for an estimated 50% of food purchased by the NHS in England.

Hospitals: Waiting Lists

Andrew Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average wait between referral and admission to hospital was in (a) Harrogate and Knaresborough constituency, (b) Yorkshire and the Humber and (c) England in 2012.

Anna Soubry: The available information is shown in the following table. Information is not available for the Harrogate and Knaresborough constituency, so information is shown for the North Yorkshire and York Primary Care Trust (PCT).
	
		
			 Referral to treatment (RTT) waiting times, average (median) time waited (in weeks) for patients that started admitted treatment during the month (admitted adjusted RTT pathways) 
			 Weeks 
			  2012 
			  Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec 
			 North Yorkshire and York PCT 8.9 8.5 8.3 7.9 8.3 8.7 8.6 8.6 8.8 8.9 8.4 8.0 
		
	
	
		
			 Yorkshire and the Humber SHA 8.3 8.3 7.8 7.8 8.2 8.4 8.5 8.4 9.0 8.8 8.5 8.1 
			 England 8.8 8.7 8.1 8.1 8.4 8.4 8.5 8.3 8.8 8.6 8.3 8.0 
			 Source: NHS England Referral to Treatment Waiting times monthly return: www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/rtt-waiting times/

Human Trafficking

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the typical (a) mental and (b) physical health of (i) men and (ii) women who have been trafficked.

Anna Soubry: The Department recognises that the impact of human trafficking on victims is significant for both mental health and physical health. We also recognise that our current understanding in this area is limited. Therefore, the Department has commissioned a 33-month study of trafficking and health issues, under its Policy Research Programme. The project is entitled: "Optimising identification, referral and care of trafficked people within the NHS". It started in July 2012 and is due to finish by March 2015. The overarching aim of this research is to provide evidence to inform the NHS response to human trafficking, specifically in the identification and referral of trafficked people, and in the provision of safe and appropriate care to meet their health needs.

ICT

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) computers, (b) mobile telephones, (c) BlackBerrys and (d) other pieces of IT equipment were lost or stolen from his Department in (i) 2010-11, (ii) 2011-12 and (iii) 2012-13; and if he will make a statement.

Daniel Poulter: The following table gives details of the departmental losses and thefts for the financial year 2010-11, 2011-12 and 2012-13.
	
		
			  1 April to 31 March each year 
			 Departmental losses and thefts 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 
			 Computers 10 11 2 
			 Mobile telephones 6 4 2 
			 BlackBerrys 44 32 22 
			 Other IT equipment 26 16 3 
			 Total 86 63 29 
		
	
	NHS Connecting for Health (NHS CfH) was part of the Department’s informatics directorate until its move to the Health and Social Care Information Centre on 1 April 2013. While part of the Department, there were a number of fundamental differences between the Department and NHS CfH including suppliers of equipment used. It is therefore deemed appropriate to display the figures for NHS CfH losses and thefts separately to the rest of the Department.
	
		
			  1 April to 31 March each year 
			 CfH informatics directorate losses and thefts 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 
			 Computers (laptops) 10 5 5 
			 Mobile telephones (includes all mobile devices) 7 29 12 
			 BlackBerrys (not used) 0 0 0 
			 Other IT equipment 0 0 0 
			 Total 17 34 17

In Vitro Fertilisation

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his Department's policy is on clinical commissioning groups that do not offer funding to couples seeking IVF treatment on the NHS; and if he will make a statement.

Anna Soubry: The Department of Health has an expectation that clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) should make progress to implement the recommendations of the National Institute for Health Care Excellence Fertility Guidelines, including the offer of three cycles of IVF for eligible couples.
	In February 2013, NHS England (NHS Commissioning Board at the time) published a 'commissioning fertility services factsheet' to support CCGs in taking on these responsibilities from April 2013.

Medicine: Research

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on accreditation of training within the clinical research industry.

Daniel Poulter: The Department does not accredit any part of the clinical research industry, including training. Neither the Clinical Trials Directive (2001/20/EC) nor the Good Clinical Practice Directive (2005/28/EC) requires the accreditation of training within the clinical research industry.
	The Medicine and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency have no specific policy on accreditation of training for clinical research. It allows those involved in clinical research to determine what training is appropriate to meet the European Union directives and how this is provided.

Midwives

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many midwives were employed by the NHS in the most recent five years for which figures are available; what steps he is taking to increase the numbers of midwives; and if he will make a statement.

Daniel Poulter: The following table shows the number of midwives employed in the national health service for the last five years:
	
		
			  Qualified midwives (full time equivalent) 
			 2008 18,896 
			 2009 19,496 
			 2010 20,126 
			 2011 20,519 
			 2012 20,935 
			 Source. NHS Information Centre for Health and Social Care Annual Census. Data as at 30 September each year. 
		
	
	There are over 1,377 (6.8%) more midwives in the NHS than in May 2010, and there are a record 5,000 in training.
	We are committed to ensuring the number of midwives matches the birth rate. Most women already have a choice and we are working closely with the Royal College of Midwives to ensure that personalised, one-to-one maternity care is available for every woman across the country. Health Education England (HEE) was established to ensure that the work force has the right skills, behaviour and training, and is available in the right numbers, to support the delivery of excellent health care and drive health improvement.
	HEE will support health care providers and clinicians to take greater responsibility for planning and commissioning education and training through development of Local Education and Training Boards which will be committees of HEE.

Mortality Rates

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he has taken to make progress towards meeting the World Health Organisation target of a 25% reduction in premature mortality from non-communicable diseases by 2025 agreed in May 2012.

Anna Soubry: In March 2013, the Department published “Living Well for Longer: A call to action to reduce avoidable premature mortality”, a copy of which has already been placed in the Library. This outlines our ambition to cut avoidable deaths from the five major causes—cancer, heart, stroke, respiratory and liver disease—and to make life expectancy in England among the best in Europe. The call to action will be followed by an action plan in the autumn that details system-wide commitments, building on the Department's published strategies and national ambitions on specific diseases and associated risk factors. In April 2013, responsibility for supporting population level health transferred to local government as part of the Health and Social Care Act 2012 reforms. The Public Health Outcomes Framework will track improvements in improving and protecting the nation's health and includes a number of mortality indicators including one on “Mortality from causes considered preventable”.

NHS: Translation Services

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the answer of 13 February 2013, Official Report, column 736W, on NHS: translation services, if he will institute a system to record centrally the cost of interpreters and translators in hospitals in England.

Norman Lamb: There is no plan to put in place a system to record centrally the cost of interpreters and translators in hospitals. Public authorities have a legal duty to provide information and services for their local populations, including those who do not speak English.

Obesity: Children

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the level of childhood obesity was in each local authority area in the UK in the latest period for which figures are available.

Anna Soubry: Information on the prevalence of obese children by local authority in England is available from the National Child Measurement Programme in tables 3A and 3B in the excel file accompanying “National Child Measurement Programme: England, 2011/12 school year”. In table 3A the geography is based on the postcode of the school and in table 3B it is based on the postcode of the child. This information is only available for children in Reception year (aged four and five) and year 6 (aged 10 to 11).
	The information contained in these tables has already been placed in the Library.
	Information for other parts of the United Kingdom is a matter for the devolved Administrations.

Palliative Care

Glyn Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the review into the Liverpool care pathway will be published.

Norman Lamb: The independent review panel, chaired by Baroness Neuberger, is planning to publish its report into the Liverpool care pathway in July.

Pregnancy: Sodium Valproate

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what steps his Department is taking to ensure doctors are aware of the risks of sodium valproate for pregnant women; and what steps he is taking to ensure National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines are followed in this respect;
	(2)  what estimate his Department has made of the number of children affected by sodium valproate after their mother was prescribed the drug during pregnancy.

Daniel Poulter: Information relating to the number of children affected by sodium valproate after their mother was prescribed the drug during pregnancy is not held centrally.
	In line with the Summary of Products Characteristics issued by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), warnings about the potential for sodium valproate to cause possible birth defects in women of childbearing age are contained in the product information available to health care professionals.
	The product information for all medicines containing sodium valproate includes detailed advice in relation to its use during pregnancy. It is currently advised that women of childbearing potential should not be started on sodium valproate unless clearly necessary, such as in situations where other treatments are ineffective or not tolerated.
	As new data have emerged, the product information supplied to all doctors and the Patient Information Leaflets available with the medicine have been revised in accordance with legal and regulatory guidance. This is to reflect the known side effects including new information with regards to the safety of use during pregnancy.
	New prescribing advice is brought to the attention of prescribers in the monthly MHRA bulletin Drug Safety Update. The MHRA has issued three articles on the risks associated with the use of sodium valproate during pregnancy in Drug Safety Update and its predecessor, Current Problems in Pharmacovigilance and will continue to do so as new information emerges.
	The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has issued guidance on the use of sodium valproate during pregnancy in which general practitioners (GPs) are advised to discuss with their patients the risk of antiepileptic drugs causing malformations and possible neurodevelopmental impairments in an unborn child, as well as the risk of continued use of sodium valproate to the unborn child, being aware that higher doses of sodium valproate are associated with greater risk.
	More generally, the responsibility for prescribing rests with the doctor or prescriber who has clinical responsibility for that aspect of a patient's care, the Department expects GPs to adhere to the NICE guidelines as a matter of good practice.

Prescription Drugs

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many prescriptions of individual (a) benzodiazepine drugs and (b) anti-depressants were dispensed in the community in 2012.

Daniel Poulter: The number of prescription items written in the United Kingdom and dispensed in the community in England in 2012, for both benzodiazepine drugs and antidepressants are shown in the tables.
	
		
			 Table 1: Benzodiazepine prescription items classified as hypnotics and anxiolytics in British National Formulary (BNF) Section 4.1 
			 BNF chemical name Prescription items (000s) 
			 Alprazolam 0.004 
			 Chlordiazepoxide Hydrochloride 173.2 
			 Diazepam 5,269.3 
			 Loprazolam Mesilate 69.9 
			 Lorazepam 1,012.4 
		
	
	
		
			 Lormetazepam 43.2 
			 Nitrazepam 877.7 
			 Oxazepam 154.9 
			 Temazepam 2,367.1 
			 Total(1) 9,967.8 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2: Benzodiazepine prescription items classified as antiepileptic drugs in BNF section 4.8 
			 BNF chemical name Prescriptions items (000s) 
			 Clobazam 219.5 
			 Clonazepam 740.7 
			 Clonazepam 1.3 
			 Midazolam Hydrochloride 17.3 
			 Midazolam Maleate 39.3 
			 Total(1) 1,018.1 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 3: Benzodiazepine prescription items classified as anaesthesia drugs in BNF section 15.1.4 
			 BNF chemical name Prescription items (000s) 
			 Midazolam Hydrochloride 120.8 
			 Total(1) 120.8 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 4: Prescription items classified as antidepressant drugs in BNF section 4,3 
			 BNF Chemical Name Number of Items (000s) 
			 Agomelatine 24.4 
			 Amitriptyline Hydrochloride 10,394.5 
			 Citalopram Hydrobromide 13,651.0 
			 Citalopram Hydrochloride 77.2 
			 Clomipramine Hydrochloride 345.5 
			 Dosulepin Hydrochloride 1,427.9 
			 Doxepin 48.6 
			 Duloxetine Hydrochloride 965.2 
			 Escitalopram 1,044.6 
			 Fluoxetine Hydrochloride 5,847.2 
			 Flupentixol Hydrochloride 169.6 
			 Fluvoxamine Maleate 27.3 
			 Imipramine Hydrochloride 182.3 
			 Isocarboxazid 1.8 
			 Lofepramine Hydrochloride 303.9 
			 Mianserin Hydrochloride 8.4 
			 Mirtazapine 4,578.5 
			 Moclobemide 21.1 
			 Nefazodone Hydrochloride 0.3 
			 Nortriptyline 454.6 
			 Oxitriptan 0.01 
			 Paroxetine Hydrochloride 1,539.9 
			 Phenelzine Sulphate 19.3 
			 Reboxetine 40.8 
			 Sertraline Hydrochloride 4,904.0 
			 Tranylcypromine Sulphate 10.1 
			 Trazodone Hydrochloride 1,033.9 
			 Trimipramine Maleate 105.5 
			 Tryptophan 12.2 
			 Venlafaxine 2,927.5 
			 Total(1) 50,167.2 
			 (1) Figures may not sum due to rounding. Source: Prescription Cost Analysis (PCA) system data provided by the Health and Social Care Information Centre

Prescription Drugs

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will take steps to ensure that drugs returned to pharmacies are recycled where possible; and if he will make a statement.

Norman Lamb: The Government do not promote the reuse of medicines returned by patients in this country, as it is not possible to guarantee the quality of a returned medicine by physical inspection alone.
	This is in line with the World Health Organisation's guidelines, which recommend that no drugs should be reused that have been issued to patients and then returned to a pharmacy.

Prescriptions: Fees and Charges

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate the net savings to his Department in the event that free prescriptions were to be withdrawn from those pensioners currently eligible to pay income tax at the (a) higher rate of 40 per cent and (b) additional rate of 45 per cent.

Norman Lamb: Estimates for the net revenue raised in the case that free prescriptions were to be withdrawn from those aged 65 and over currently eligible to pay income tax at 40% and 45% are shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Estimated revenue raised, England, 2013-14 
			  Estimated revenue raised (£ million)(1) 
			  Scenario 1: Estimated revenue including behavioural elements(2) Scenario 2: Estimated theoretical maximum revenue(2) 
			 Age 65+ Higher (40%) rate taxpayers(3) 62 142 
			 Age 65+ Additional (45%) rate taxpayers(3) 4 9 
			 (1) These data are estimates of the number of items claimed by those aged 65+ in 2013-14, based on current prescription levels. (2) Scenario 1 assumes that three quarters of the population aged 65 and over would use pre-payment certificates to claim prescriptions should exemption be withdrawn. This is a more likely scenario because people in this age group generally claim multiple prescriptions and would therefore benefit from use of pre-payment certificates. The estimated theoretical maximum revenue (Scenario 2) is based, on the assumption that all those aged 65 and over would pay for prescription charges at the point of dispensing, paying £7.85 per prescription item. Note that those on lower incomes are likely to claim more prescriptions than those on higher incomes, so these estimates are likely to be over-estimates, as these calculations assume that each group will claim prescriptions at the same rate. In addition, people in this age group are more likely to have long term medical conditions and may be eligible for medical exemption certificates (MEDEX) if free prescriptions were withdrawn. (3) To simplify these calculations, the estimates above have been applied to all those in England aged over 65 years. However, the female state pension age is being increased gradually from April 2010 to be equalised with the male state pension age by November 2018. Source: Estimates of numbers of higher rate and additional rate taxpayers are based upon the 2010-11 Survey of Personal Incomes using economic assumptions consistent with the Office for Budgetary Responsibility's March 2013 economic and fiscal outlook. Estimates of prescription items are taken from Prescriptions Dispensed in the Community, Statistics for England published by the Health and Social Care Information Centre.

Prescriptions: Fees and Charges

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reason patients with minor bipolar conditions do not get free prescriptions.

Norman Lamb: Patients resident in England with minor bipolar conditions are not entitled to medical exemption from national health service prescription charges due to the condition not being included within the list of conditions which qualify for exemption.
	In 2009, Professor Sir Ian Gilmore carried out a review to consider how free prescriptions might be extended to all those with long-term conditions. This review made a number of proposals, and was published in May 2010 by the Government.
	We announced in the spending review, published in October 2010, that we would not extend free prescriptions to all those with long-term conditions. Prescription charges in England raise in the region of £450 million each year. This is valuable income, which helps the NHS to maintain vital services for patients.

Prescriptions: Fees and Charges

David Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many medical conditions have been added to the exempt list for the purposes of prescription charges in the last 10 years;
	(2)  if his Department will add (a) asthma, (b) heart disease, (c) arthritis, (d) HIV, (e) Crohn's disease, (f) ulcerative colitis, (g) Parkinson's disease and (h) cystic fibrosis and auto-immune disease to the exempt list of medical conditions for the purposes of prescription charges;
	(3)  what his policy is on reviewing the exempt list of medical conditions for the purposes of prescription charges.

Norman Lamb: Within the last 10 years, cancer has been the only addition to the list of medical conditions which qualify patients resident in England for exemption from national health service prescription charges. This change took place on 1 April 2009.
	In 2009, Professor Sir Ian Gilmore carried out a review, at the request of the last Government, to consider how free prescriptions might be extended to all those with long-term conditions. This review made a number of proposals, and was published by this Government in May 2010.
	In the light of the challenging financial context, the Government announced in the spending review, published in October 2010, that we would not extend free prescriptions to all those with a long-term condition, and we do not intend to add any medical conditions to the list of medical exemptions. Prescription charges in England raise valuable income, in the region of £450 million each year, which helps the NHS to maintain vital services for patients.
	The Government continue to look at options for creating a fairer system of prescription charges and exemptions in England, which takes into account the overall NHS financial context and the introduction of universal credit.

Skin Cancer

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has to update its 2010 guidance on the management of low-risk basal cell carcinomas in the community to take account of the abolition of primary care trusts.

Norman Lamb: We understand from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) that it has no current plans to update its guidance on the management of low-risk basal cell carcinoma in the community in response to the abolition of primary care trusts (PCTs). The responsibilities of PCTs are deemed by NICE to have been taken on by successor organisations and the recommendations within the guidance remain valid.

Social Services

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consideration his Department has given to the portability of social services assessments taken in Wales under the proposed Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Bill in the event of people moving to England.

Norman Lamb: The Care Bill (clause 38 and schedule 1) makes provision for a person ordinarily resident in England, who has care and support needs and requires residential accommodation to meet those needs, to be provided with that accommodation in the area of another devolved Administration, including Wales, and for such placements to be made in England for people who are ordinarily resident elsewhere in the United Kingdom. It also makes similar reciprocal arrangements for cross-border placements not involving England i.e. Wales-Scotland, Scotland-Northern Ireland and Northern Ireland-Wales.
	There are no plans to provide for continuity of care, including portability of assessments, when an adult moves between devolved Administrations. Social care is a devolved matter for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Social Services

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the announced cap on social care costs under the Dilnot proposals will be applied to people moving to Wales from England who are already receiving care packages.

Norman Lamb: To qualify for the protection provided by the cap, a person must be ordinarily resident in a local authority in England. In most cases, a person is ordinarily resident in the place where they live.
	The Care Bill will make provision for cross border residential care placements so people can be placed in care homes in other parts of the United Kingdom. This will mean that if a local authority in England places someone in residential care in Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales, that person will remain the responsibility of the English local authority. They will not acquire ordinary residence in their new location and will continue to benefit from the protection provided by the cap.
	If people receiving domiciliary care move from England to Wales (or from Wales to England), or people in a care home move without being placed by their local authority they will usually become ordinarily resident in Wales. The appropriate contribution they should make to the cost of their care will be determined by the regulations in Wales.

Social Services

Glyn Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the draft Care and Support Bill, what discussions he is having with the Welsh Government to ensure continuity of care for people who relocate across the border.

Norman Lamb: The Welsh Government has been fully engaged at both ministerial and official level during the drafting of the Care Bill.
	There are no plans to provide for continuity of care, including portability of assessments, when an adult moves between devolved administrations. Social care is a devolved matter for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Tobacco: Packaging

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the potential savings to the NHS of introducing plain cigarette packaging.

Anna Soubry: The Department published the “Consultation on standardised packaging of tobacco products” in April 2012. A consultation-stage impact assessment was published alongside the consultation.
	The Government have not yet made a decision on this policy. This is an important decision and one that will only be taken after full consideration of the consultation responses, evidence and other relevant information. This includes consideration of the impact on national health service costs.

UK Membership of EU

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his Department's top priorities are for changing the UK's relationship with the EU.

Anna Soubry: As the Prime Minister's speech on Europe in January this year made clear, the European Union needs to change both to deliver prosperity and to retain the support of its peoples. The Government are committed to help shape the future of a more competitive, flexible and democratically accountable EU, with the United Kingdom playing a leading role at the heart of the Single Market and also EU action on energy, climate change, development, foreign policy and other global challenges. In a further speech in March, the Prime Minister outlined his priorities for migrants and welfare reform, including a commitment to improve reciprocal charging for national health service care provided to citizens of European economic area countries.
	The Government are currently carrying out the Balance of Competence Review which is an evidence-based and objective analysis of what EU membership means for the UK and our national interest. The health report will be published this summer. The report will not produce recommendations but will look at the impact of the EU in the area of health.

Universal Credit

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how the qualifying conditions for each passported benefit for which he is responsible will change under universal credit.

Daniel Poulter: For Help with Health Costs we have put arrangements in place for the passporting of universal credit recipients during the pathfinder phase, which started on 29 April 2013. All those in receipt of universal credit during the pathfinder phase will be entitled to Help with Health Costs, which includes free prescriptions (in England). As the target group for the Pathfinder phase excludes those with responsibility for children, and pregnant women, there is likely to be little impact on Healthy Start during this phase. However, we have put processes in place to ensure that the scheme can provide discretionary support to universal credit recipients who may become pregnant or responsible for young children.
	We are currently working across government to agree approaches for the passporting of benefits following the full roll-out of universal credit which work smoothly while ensuring that these benefits are available to the families that need them most.

Scotland

David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the legislation his Department has sponsored which has devolved powers to the Scottish Parliament and powers within such legislation since 1998.

David Mundell: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Scotland Office.
	The Scotland Office is responsible for maintaining and strengthening the devolution settlement; together with lead policy Departments we have delivered a programme of Scotland Act orders that have provided additional powers to the Scottish Parliament, as well as delivering the Scotland Act 2012, which enhanced the devolution settlement and provided the largest transfer of financial responsibility since 1999.
	Further devolution to the Scottish Parliament is principally achieved by way of amendments to schedules 4 and 5 of the Act. Since 1998 the following changes to those schedules have been made. These are presented in summary form.
	Amendments to schedule 4 of the Scotland Act 1998
	Power to modify the Scotland Act 1998 regarding financial assistance for opposition parties in the Scottish Parliament.
	Powers to modify certain provisions of the Scotland Act 1998 requiring any sum to be payable out of the Scottish Consolidated Fund.
	Power to provide that proceedings brought in a court or tribunal against a member of the Scottish Government under the Scotland Act 1998 on human rights grounds have to be brought before the end of a limitation period (since repealed by Scotland Act 2012).
	Amendments to schedule 5 of the Scotland Act 1998
	Political parties
	The making of payments to any political party for the purpose of assisting members of the Parliament to perform their parliamentary duties.
	Referendum
	A power to allow the Scottish Parliament to conduct a referendum on the independence of Scotland from the rest of the United Kingdom, subject to certain conditions.
	Financial and economic matters
	Powers to set a rate of income tax to be paid by Scottish taxpayers, and taxes in relation to land transactions and landfill.
	Home affairs
	The interception of any communication made to or by a person detained at a place of detention.
	The regulation of air weapons.
	Trade and industry
	Powers in relation to business associations which are social landlords, including in relation to winding up proceedings and procedures giving protection from creditors.
	Powers to provide financial assistance for the provision of services (other than postal services and services relating to money or postal orders) to be provided from public post offices.
	Transport
	Powers to impose requirements on Scottish public authorities about the preparation and submission of strategies relating to the provision of rail services.
	Powers to transfer functions of passenger transport executives or passenger transport authorities relating to rail services, and the allocation of such functions among relevant authorities.
	The promotion and construction of railways which start, end and remain in Scotland.
	Power to impose requirements on Scottish public authorities about the preparation and submission of strategies relating to the provision of air services.
	Social security
	Powers to provide occasional financial or other assistance to or in respect of individuals for the purposes of meeting an immediate short-term need, arising out of exceptional services, to avoid risk to the individual’s well-being, or enabling qualifying individuals to establish or maintain a settled home.
	Employment
	Fire safety on construction sites and on certain premises, including those concerned in the manufacture or storage of chemicals, explosives or flammable materials.
	Amendment to part 1 of the Scotland Act 1998
	Elections
	Power to make provision as to the conduct of elections for membership of the Scottish Parliament, and the questioning of such an election and the consequences of irregularities. Made by the Scotland Act 2012 and yet to be brought into force.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Alexander Litvinenko

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the likely future action of the Russian state towards (a) the UK and (b) opponents of the Russian Government, following the application of a public interest immunity certificate to the inquest into the death of Alexander Litvinenko.

David Lidington: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), made an application for public interest immunity in line with the Government's duty to protect national security. The coroner has now made his decision on the public interest immunity claim, and it would not be appropriate to comment further while the Government consider his ruling.

Alexander Litvinenko

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the then forthcoming inquest into the death of Alexander Litvinenko was discussed during (a) his meeting with the Russian Foreign Minister in London in March 2013 and (b) the Prime Minister's meeting with President Putin in May 2013.

David Lidington: During his meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in March, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), raised a number of individual cases of concern, including the deaths of Alexander Litvinenko and of Sergei Magnitsky. The inquest into the death of Litvinenko was not discussed between the Prime Minister and President Putin.

Bahrain

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to his Bahraini counterpart on the imprisonment of children in that country.

Alistair Burt: Our embassy in Manama has previously raised the imprisonment of young offenders with the Ministry of the Interior, and just last month our ambassador discussed the handling of young offenders with HRH the Crown Prince.

Bahrain

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received about the case of Nabil Rajab in Bahrain; whether he has sought further information from the Government of Bahrain about this matter; and what assessment he has made of Mr Rajab's safety.

Alistair Burt: Following allegations that Mr Rajab had gone “missing” while in custody, our embassy in Manama spoke to the Ministry of the Interior and also to Mr Rajab's lawyer, Mohammad Al Jishi.
	The Ministry of the Interior stated that Mr Rajab was being housed with other inmates in Jaw prison and was not being kept in solitary confinement.
	Mr Al Jishi confirmed he understands this to be true, and that Mr Rajab was in good health.

Bahrain

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to (a) monitor the development of houses built by the Prince's Foundation for Building Community and (b) make representations to the Bahraini Government to ensure that individuals are not barred from residing in them on the basis of ethnicity.

Alistair Burt: The Prince's Foundation for Building Community will be working with the Bahraini Ministry of Housing to help educate local officials through the delivery of an exemplar project; aiming to address the country's housing shortfall, while meeting the needs of the diverse local population.
	The Foreign and Commonwealth Office takes an interest in this project, but it is not our place to monitor it or seek assurances. This is a matter for the Prince's Foundation and the Bahraini Government.

Bahrain

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance his Department provided the Prince's Foundation for Building Community in obtaining a contract to build houses in Bahrain.

Alistair Burt: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has not provided assistance to the Prince's Foundation with this specific project. We welcome their support of the initiative to help design a major new residential area around the needs of all the communities who will live there.
	This project aims to help all the communities in Bahrain, and demonstrates the kind of support which Bahrain needs from its friends to help with reconciliation at grass-roots levels.

Capital Punishment

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government are taking to argue the case against the use of the death penalty.

David Lidington: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 17 April 2013, Official Report, column 444W.

Conditions of Employment

Pamela Nash: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many people in his Department are employed on zero hours contracts.

Alistair Burt: As mentioned in my reply to the hon. Member for Sunderland Central (Julie Elliott) on 25 January 2013, Official Report, column 321W, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) does not employ the term “zero hour contract” with its employed staff. However, we have interpreted the question to mean staff who are employed for specific work and are only paid/reimbursed for the work they undertake. The FCO has five members of staff on this type of contract. This is still the case today.

Ethiopia

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will hold discussions with his Ethiopian counterpart about the treatment of the Amhara people of that country; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Simmonds: We regularly raise human rights concerns with all levels of the Ethiopian Government. In April officials at the British embassy in Addis Ababa raised with Ethiopian State Ministers the issue of displacement of ethnic Amharas from the Benishangul-Gumuz region. We obtained assurances that this had been a mistake, that the Amharas had returned home, and that the Government officials involved in the displacement had been removed from their posts and that an investigation was under way. In January our ambassador raised concerns about the implementation of the commune programme (sometimes referred to as “villagisation”) in Ethiopia's developing regional states, which includes Benishangal-Gumuz, with the State Minister for Foreign Affairs. We continue to monitor this programme and follow-up allegations of abuses of human rights in the regions.

European Union Approvals Bill (Draft)

Dominic Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he will publish the draft European Union Approvals Bill.

David Lidington: Under the European Union (EU) Act 2011 certain EU decisions require parliamentary approval by an Act of Parliament before the UK can vote in favour of or otherwise support them. Government Departments responsible for such measures bring forward legislation to seek the approval of Parliament when parliamentary time allows.

G8

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with (a) airport operators and (b) airline carriers on the holding of the G8 Summit in County Fermanagh in June 2013.

Mark Simmonds: Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) officials had meetings with airport operators at George Best City airport and Belfast International airport in November 2012. Since then, officials have been engaged in continuing discussions with Belfast International airport to ensure a smooth arrivals and departures process for visiting delegations. FCO officials have not had direct discussions with airline carriers.

ICT

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many (a) computers, (b) mobile telephones, (c) BlackBerrys and (d) other pieces of IT equipment were lost or stolen from his Department in (i) 2010-11, (ii) 2011-12 and (iii) 2012-13; and if he will make a statement.

David Lidington: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 12 December 2012, Official Report, column 341W.
	Since 12 December 2012, there has been a further loss of two BlackBerrys, bringing the total loss of 37 BlackBerrys for 2011-12. Eleven of these were in the UK and the other 26 were lost at one of our posts overseas. There were no further losses of computers, including laptops.
	For figures in 2013 (January to May), five computers, including laptops, were recorded as losses. One of these was in the UK and the other four were lost at one of our posts overseas. In the same period, 12 BlackBerrys were recorded as losses. Five of these were in the UK and seven were at one of our posts overseas.
	The Foreign and Commonwealth Office takes its responsibilities for protecting information assets seriously and complies with mandatory requirements of the Security Policy Framework, which includes the implementation of security incident management procedures to ensure losses are dealt with appropriately.

Interpal

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the US Treasury about Interpal's status as a special designated global terrorist, following the dismissal by the US District Court in New York of a case against the National Westminster Bank.

Alistair Burt: We have not had any recent discussions with the US Treasury about Interpal's status as a special designated global terrorist organisation. We have previously provided the US Government with details of the UK Charity Commission's inquiries into the affairs of Interpal which found no evidence of terrorist financing. This continues to be a matter for Interpal to take up directly with the US Government.

Italy

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Italian Ministry of Education on the terms of employment of non-Italian staff at Italian universities.

David Lidington: We regard the issue of discrimination over jobs and pay against UK and foreign national lecturers in Italian universities as completely unacceptable. Our embassy in Rome has been pressing the Italian Administration to resolve this issue, including through facilitating dialogue between the Ministry and the Association of Foreign Lecturers in Italy (ALLSI). I have not had the opportunity to discuss this with the Italian Ministry of Education but the British ambassador to Italy held discussions earlier this month with the recently appointed Minister for Education, Maria Chiara Carrozza, during which he raised the importance of finding a solution to this issue. The UK Government lobbied the previous Italian Government hard on this and intend to continue lobbying the new Government until a satisfactory solution is found.

Middle East

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what sanctions have been taken by (a) the Government and (b) international partners against the (i) Israeli Government and (ii) Palestinian parties in response to non-compliance with the Oslo Accords and the road map.

Alistair Burt: The UK does not believe that imposing sanctions on Israel/Palestine would be a constructive step. We urge both the Israeli and Palestinian authorities, including at the highest levels, to comply with their obligations under the road map and take positive steps towards peace. It is a matter of much regret to the UK that 20 years after the signing of the Oslo accords, the parties have not reached an agreement on final status issues. Israel's phased withdrawals have stalled and what were envisaged as interim arrangements have become the status quo. Nonetheless, we continue to believe negotiations are the only route out of this impasse.

Middle East

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the sanctions available to the Government and international partners in response to failures by (a) Israel and (b) the Palestinians to meet their obligations under the Oslo Accords and the road map.

Alistair Burt: The UK does not believe that imposing sanctions on Israel or the Occupied Palestinian Territories would be a constructive step. We are working with both sides in support of US Secretary of State Mr John Kerry's efforts on a renewed US-led initiative on the middle east peace process, in particular looking at the incentives, or disincentives, that might encourage the two sides to take positive steps towards peace. While these efforts are ongoing we are firmly focused on what incentives we, along with our EU partners, can offer.

Occupied Territories

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information his Department holds on (a) how many Palestinian master plans are pending agreement with the Israeli authorities in Areas (i) A, (ii) B and (iii) C of the Occupied Palestinian Territories and (b) what the average time taken for approval is of such plans; and what assessment he has made, based on the current rate of approvals, of when the whole of Area A, B and C will be covered by master plans.

Alistair Burt: In order to support development of Palestinian communities in Area C, the UK, together with others in the international community, has funded the development and submission of ‘master plans’ for a number of Palestinian communities in Area C. There are currently 32 such master plans progressing through the Israeli planning system, and in December 2012 five of these were considered to have met the required technical standard by the Israeli Civil Administration.
	Master plans vary in size, depending on the community, but it is estimated that approximately 150 master plans would be needed to cover Area C. These plans do not address agricultural or grazing land. We have not made an assessment of when the whole of Area C will be covered by master plans or how long the approval process takes. Since Areas A and B are under Palestinian administrative control, Israeli-agreed master plans are not required.
	We continue to urge Israel to meet its obligations regarding the living conditions of the Palestinian population in Area C, including by accelerated approval of Palestinian master plans and simplifying administrative procedures to obtain building permits. Together with our EU partners, we have called upon Israel to work together with the Palestinian Authority to allow more access and control of the Palestinian Authority over Area C.

Occupied Territories

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which master plans have been approved for the Occupied Palestinian Territory by the Israeli Government authorities in the last year; and whether such plans cover Area (a) A, (b) B and (c) C.

Alistair Burt: We are not aware of any master plans for Palestinian communities in Area C being granted final approval by the Israeli authorities in 2012.
	Through the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Conflict Pool Programme, the UK has funded an International Peace and Cooperation Center (IPCC) project supporting building planning for Palestinian communities in Area C. In December 2012 five IPCC master plans were approved by the Israeli Civil Administration for Palestinian communities in Area C, with the capacity to accommodate 14,400 inhabitants, although these are now pending a period for public objection.
	The Palestinian Authority exercises administrative control over areas A and B, so the Israeli authorities do not approve master plans for these areas.

Occupied Territories

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many new housing units have been (a) announced and (b) approved in settlements in East Jerusalem and the Occupied Palestinian State since the Foreign Affairs Council in May 2012; how many new housing units have been built; how many Palestinian homes and other buildings have been demolished; how many olive trees have been destroyed or vandalised and how many Palestinians have been forcibly transferred out of Area C.

Alistair Burt: According to data from Peace Now, from May 2012 1,713 settlement housing units have progressed in the planning progress. Tenders were issued for 453 settlement units in the west bank and 1,514 settlement units in East Jerusalem.
	According to UN statistics, in 2012 there were 65 buildings demolished by the Israeli Authorities in East Jerusalem and 71 evictions/displacements. During the same period 589 Palestinian structures were demolished in Area C in 2012 and 871 people displaced. Between January and May 2013, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimates that 40 structures were demolished in East Jerusalem and 206 in Area C, leaving 136 people homeless in East Jerusalem and 1,107 displaced or otherwise affected in Area C.
	We regularly make clear, publicly and privately, to Israel our serious concerns about many aspects of the Israeli occupation, including the demolition of Palestinian homes. Along with our EU partners we have called on Israel to halt the forced transfer of population and demolition of Palestinian housing and infrastructure in Area C of the west bank. We have also repeatedly condemned the building of Israeli settlements in the west bank and East Jerusalem.
	According to UN OCHA reports for 2011, approximately 9,500 trees were damaged and 8,600 trees were reported burned, uprooted, or otherwise vandalized in 2012. We are concerned by the repeated attacks on Palestinian olive trees by extremist settlers.
	We note the particular sensitivities around olive trees, given their status as a national symbol and the sole source of income for many Palestinian farmers. We have called on the relevant Israeli authorities to take all necessary steps to prevent the attacks against Palestinian farmers and bring those responsible to justice. Our embassy in Tel Aviv has raised our concerns about violence and intimidation by extremist settlers with, among others, the Israeli Attorney General, Defence Minister and Prime Minister's office.

Occupied Territories

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the number of lawful and unlawful refusals of Palestinian requests for building permits and master plans in the west bank; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: According to published statistics by the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, 91 of 1,624 Palestinian applications for building permits for Area C were approved between 2000 and 2007 and four of 444 were approved in 2010.
	We continue to call on Israel to work together with the Palestinian Authority (PA) to allow more access and control of the PA over Area C.

Occupied Territories

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the building rate in Israeli settlements in east Jerusalem and the west bank in each of the last five years.

Alistair Burt: We do not have exact data available for the building rate in Israeli settlements in each of the past five years.
	However, figures from Peace Now show that in east Jerusalem over 8,730 housing units have been advanced and approved at different stages since 2009. Peace Now data also show 6,171 settlement construction starts in the west bank between January 2009 and June 2012.
	Our position on Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories is clear: they are illegal under international law, an obstacle to peace and make a two-state solution, with Jerusalem as a shared capital, harder to achieve.

Occupied Territories

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many Palestinians in east Jerusalem have (a) been evicted by the Israeli Government, (b) had their homes and buildings demolished and (c) had their residency status changed by the Israeli Government since 14 May 2012.

Alistair Burt: According to UN statistics, in 2012 there were 65 buildings demolished in east Jerusalem and 71 evictions/displacements. Since the start of 2013, UN statistics indicate that there have been 41 demolitions in east Jerusalem, with 341 people displaced or otherwise affected.
	According to data supplied by the Israeli interior ministry, in 2012 Israel revoked the residency of 116 east Jerusalem Palestinians, including 64 women and 29 minors. Over the same period, Israel ‘reinstated' the residency status of 32 east Jerusalem Palestinians.
	We regularly make clear, publicly and privately, to Israel our serious concerns about the demolition of Palestinian homes and infrastructure and forced transfer of population in Area C and east Jerusalem. Such acts are contrary to international humanitarian law as well as causing unnecessary suffering to ordinary Palestinians and being harmful to the peace process.
	In addition, we continue to support Palestinians facing demolition or eviction in the Occupied Palestinian Territories through support to the Norwegian Refugee Council legal aid programme, which helps individuals to challenge these decisions in the Israeli legal system.

Occupied Territories

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the number of Palestinian homes that are at risk of demolition in the Occupied Palestinian Territories in (a) east Jerusalem, (b) Areas A and B and (c) Area C.

Alistair Burt: We have not received any reports on the specific number of Palestinian homes at risk of demolition in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, including east Jerusalem and Areas A, B and C.
	However less than 1% of Area C has been planned for Palestinian development by the Israeli Civil Administration. Israeli planning permission is required to build any structures 20cm above or below ground in Area C. Palestinian structures built in Area C without permission are liable to be subject to demolition orders by the Israeli authorities. According to Israeli Government statistics, four of 444 Palestinian applications for building permits were approved in 2010.
	In addition, since the start of 2013, 247 demolitions have been carried out in east Jerusalem and Area C.

Occupied Territories

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many Israeli outposts erected since March 2001 have been dismantled; and how many new outposts have been built.

Alistair Burt: Since March 2001, only one outpost with permanent infrastructure has been completely demolished, that of Migron. Many temporary structures and less established outposts have been demolished but we do not have information about these. In 2005, in the context of Israeli disengagement from Gaza, 25 settlements were demolished—21 in Gaza and four in the west bank.
	Since 2001, 54 outposts have been built. According to Peace Now figures there are currently about 120 settlements and 90 outposts in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

Overseas Aid

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much finance the Government have provided to Israeli settlements (a) directly and (b) indirectly through procurement, tax benefits or participation in bilateral programmes since 2005.

Alistair Burt: The Government's position on Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories is clear: they are illegal under international law and an obstacle to peace. No UK public funds have gone in direct support of settlements. Due to the complexity and cost to the taxpayer, we have not made an assessment of possible indirect finance through the cited mechanisms since 2005.

Scotland

David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the legislation his Department has sponsored which has devolved powers to the Scottish Parliament and powers within such legislation since 1998.

David Mundell: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Scotland Office.
	The Scotland Office is responsible for maintaining and strengthening the devolution settlement; together with lead policy Departments we have delivered a programme of Scotland Act orders that have provided additional powers to the Scottish Parliament, as well as delivering the Scotland Act 2012, which enhanced the devolution settlement and provided the largest transfer of financial responsibility since 1999.
	Further devolution to the Scottish Parliament is principally achieved by way of amendments to schedules 4 and 5 to the Act. Since 1998 the following changes to those schedules have been made. These are presented in summary form.
	Amendments to schedule 4 to the Scotland Act 1998
	Power to modify the Scotland Act 1998 regarding financial assistance for opposition parties in the Scottish Parliament.
	Powers to modify certain provisions of the Scotland Act 1998 requiring any sum to be payable out of the Scottish Consolidated Fund.
	Power to provide that proceedings brought in a court or tribunal against a member of the Scottish Government under the Scotland Act 1998 on human rights grounds have to be brought before the end of a limitation period (since repealed by the Scotland Act 2012).
	Amendments to schedule 5 to the Scotland Act 1998
	Political parties
	The making of payments to any political party for the purpose of assisting members of the Parliament to perform their parliamentary duties.
	Referendum
	A power to allow the Scottish Parliament to conduct a referendum on the independence of Scotland from the rest of the United Kingdom, subject to certain conditions.
	Financial and economic matters
	Powers to set a rate of income tax to be paid by Scottish taxpayers, and taxes in relation to land transactions and landfill.
	Home affairs
	The interception of any communication made to or by a person detained at a place of detention.
	The regulation of air weapons.
	Trade and industry
	Powers in relation to business associations which are social landlords, including in relation to winding up proceedings and procedures giving protection from creditors.
	Powers to provide financial assistance for the provision of services (other than postal services and services relating to money or postal orders) to be provided from public post offices.
	Transport
	Powers to impose requirements on Scottish public authorities about the preparation and submission of strategies relating to the provision of rail services.
	Powers to transfer functions of passenger transport executives or passenger transport authorities relating to rail services, and the allocation of such functions among relevant authorities.
	The promotion and construction of railways which start, end and remain in Scotland.
	Power to impose requirements on Scottish public authorities about the preparation and submission of strategies relating to the provision of air services.
	Social security
	Powers to provide occasional financial or other assistance to or in respect of individuals for the purposes of meeting an immediate short-term need, arising out of exceptional services, to avoid risk to the individual’s well-being, or enabling qualifying individuals to establish or maintain a settled home.
	Employment
	Fire safety on construction sites and on certain premises, including those concerned in the manufacture or storage of chemicals, explosives or flammable materials.
	Amendment to part 1 of the Scotland Act 1998
	Elections
	Power to make provision as to the conduct of elections for membership of the Scottish Parliament, and the questioning of such an election and the consequences of irregularities. Made by the Scotland Act 2012 and yet to be brought into force.

Shaker Aamer

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on how many occasions he or other representatives of the UK Government have discussed with their US counterparts the case of Shaker Aamer.

Alistair Burt: The UK Government are committed to using our best endeavours to secure Mr Aamer's release and return to the UK. Ministers and senior officials continue to raise Mr Aamer's case with their US counterparts. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), raised Mr Aamer's case numerous times with Secretary Clinton, and went on to raise Mr Aamer's case with her successor, John Kerry, in May. The Secretary of State for Defence, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), also raised Mr Aamer's case with his US counterpart during a recent visit to Washington. I raised Mr Aamer's case with US Deputy Secretary of State Burns in April. Senior official level discussions continue with the US Administration.

Sudan

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what engagement he is having with his foreign counterparts to help find a solution to the ongoing conflict within Sudan.

Mark Simmonds: We co-ordinate closely on policy with our Sudan Troika partners, the US and Norway. Sudan is also a regular topic of dialogue with EU partners; China, Qatar, Turkey and a wide range of African countries among others. The conflicts in Sudan are regularly discussed in the UN Security Council.
	We are fully supporting the efforts of the African Union High-Level Implementation Panel led by former President Mbeki to encourage the Government of Sudan and Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North to agree a cessation of hostilities in Blue Nile and Southern Kordofan states. We are also working closely with Qatar on follow-up to the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur.

Syria

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received requesting assistance in negotiating the safe release of two Greek Orthodox bishops kidnapped in Syria in April 2013; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: We are very concerned about this kidnapping, which highlights the seriousness of the situation in Syria. I have publicly condemned the kidnapping, as have prominent religious leaders, and urge whoever is holding the bishops to release them immediately. Our officials are in direct contact with the Greek Orthodox Patriarch's office regarding this case.

Travel

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department spent on ministerial travel by (a) Government Car Service, (b) private hire vehicles, (c) taxis, (d) rail, (e) aviation and (f) other means in each year of the current parliament.

David Lidington: Details of ministerial overseas travel are published quarterly in line with the Ministerial Code. The most recent FCO returns can be found at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/foreign-commonwealth-office/series/minister-data
	Earlier returns can be found at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/data-set-of-quarterly-returns-by-ministers-special-advisers-and-the-permanent-under-secretary
	Departmental spend on the Government Car Service for ministerial travel is published in an annual written ministerial statement by the Department for Transport. Figures for 2010-11 were published on 16 January 2012, Official Report, columns 30-31WS, and for 2011-12 on 20 December 2012, Official Report, columns 126-128WS. Details of the costs for 2012-13 will be published in the normal way later this year.
	Additionally, in 2010-11, the FCO spent £76,936 through FCO Services on the London Car Service. In 2011-12 this spend was £148,850 and in 2012-13 £144,698. The FCO moved from using only the Government Car Service to using the London Car Service (run by FCO Services) in September 2010.
	Taxis are only used for ministerial travel in exceptional circumstances, where the Government Car Service or London Car Service is not available. To collate information on spend would incur disproportionate cost.
	Section 10 of the Ministerial Code provides guidance on travel for Ministers and makes clear that Ministers must ensure that they always make efficient and cost-effective travel arrangements.

UK Membership of EU

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the Prime Minister's top priorities are for reforming the UK's relationship with the EU.

David Lidington: As the Prime Minister said in January, the Government believe the EU needs to become more competitive, more flexible and more democratic. We are actively working with other EU member states and the EU institutions to enhance Europe's competitiveness through strengthening the single market, cutting the cost of EU regulation on business and concluding free trade agreements with our major trading partners around the world. We are determined to see arrangements put in place that allow those partners who have chosen to join the Euro to move towards closer fiscal integration while at the same time respecting the interests of the member states who are outside the single currency. We are promoting ideas about a stronger role for national Parliaments in the EU.
	In addition, as my hon. Friend will know, the Prime Minister has secured the first ever agreement to a real terms cut in a Multiannual Financial Framework and has also won agreement to end the United Kingdom's liability for future Euro-zone bail-outs under the European Financial Stability Mechanism.

Western Sahara

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the answer of 6 March 2013, Official Report, column 1019W, on Morocco, if he will make representations to the United Nations on the establishment of an independent international human rights monitoring role with responsibility to report to the UN Security Council in occupied Western Sahara and in the refugee camps near Tindouf.

Alistair Burt: The UN Security Council Resolution 2099 on the UN Mission for a Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) included an emphasis on human rights, encouraging Morocco and the Polisario to continue in their respective efforts to enhance the promotion and protection of human rights in Western Sahara and the Tindouf refugee camps. We continue to emphasise the importance of full respect for human rights in discussions at the UN Security Council.

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Aerospace Industry: Northern Ireland

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had with Ministers in the Northern Ireland Executive on the development of the aerospace industry in Northern Ireland.

Michael Fallon: BIS Ministers engaged with counterparts in the Northern Ireland Executive as part of the development of the Aerospace Industrial Strategy, which was published on 18 March 2013. Officials in the Department talk frequently to Invest Northern Ireland about the development of the aerospace industry in Northern Ireland.

Business: Government Assistance

Anas Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether a company's record of tax avoidance is taken into account when awarding business development grants.

Michael Fallon: Under the HMT Green Book framework taxes are considered to be "transfer payments" (ie payments that may change the distribution of income or wealth, but do not give rise to direct economic costs and benefits) and therefore taxes do not normally form part of the criteria for the assessment of applications for business support.

Company Finance

Dominic Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many UK companies (a) do not turn over a profit as a result of only being able to pay the interest on their debts and (b) would be unable to meet debt repayments if interest rates rise.

Jo Swinson: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has not made an estimate of the number of companies not making a profit as a result of only being able to pay the interest on their debts or the number of companies that would be unable to meet their debt repayments if interest rates rise. The Bank of England, in its February 2013 Inflation Report, does report the number of loss-making companies in the UK as about 30% of the total company population (2010 data). However, the report does not include an estimate of the proportion of these loss-making companies that have debts and would have been profit-making if they were not paying interest on those debts.

Copyright

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will bring forward legislative proposals to strengthen the penalties for removing or altering electronic rights management information from copyrighted works.

Jo Swinson: The general law already provides adequate criminal penalties for copyright infringement irrespective of whether electronic rights management information has been removed from the copyright works. For example, section 107 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 already provides a criminal offence where, under section 107(2A), a person communicates a copyright work to the public, knowing or having reason to believe that he is infringing copyright and the act was either done in the course of a business or it prejudicially affects the owner of the copyright. Criminal proceedings may also be brought under the Fraud Act 2006, where a person strips metadata and falsely claims to be the copyright owner in order to make a gain for himself (Section 2 Fraud by false representation).

Education: Prisons

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 13 May 2013, Official Report, column 84W, on prisons: education, what he meant by learning aims.

Matthew Hancock: The Learning Aims Reference Application (LARA) holds information on learning aims recognised by the Education Funding Agency and the Skills Funding Agency, both funded and unfunded:
	https://gateway.imservices.org.uk/sites/LARA/Pages/Welcome.aspx
	A learning aim is a generic term which includes qualifications, courses and learning events. It is defined as a single element of learning. A record is returned for each learning aim that a learner is studying. For certain types of programme, a record is returned to describe the overall learning programme being followed and the separate components that comprise the programme.

Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of difficulties arising in Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation; and whether he considers that changes to (a) corporate governance regulations and (b) stock exchange listing requirements are needed in the light of any such assessment he has made.

Jo Swinson: The UK's system of corporate governance is globally respected, and plays a key role in attracting global companies to list on UK markets. It is important that companies and their advisors are held to account for their actions where these run counter to the interests of their investors.
	In this context, I welcome the investigation by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) into the reported issues at Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation. I have asked BIS officials to liaise with the SFO and to offer assistance to them if required. I also welcome the UK Listing Authority's consultation on new rules aimed at providing greater protection for independent shareholders and ensuring UK-listed companies continue to operate according to the highest standards of corporate governance.

Exports: Government Assistance

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  whether the Export Refinancing Facility is yet in place;
	(2)  with reference to his Autumn Statement 2012, whether the direct lending facility for exporters has been put in place to date as planned.

Michael Fallon: I refer the hon. Member to the answers that I gave to the hon. Member for Streatham (Mr Umunna) on 24 April 2013, Official Report, column 995W.

Higher Education: Admissions

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department is taking to promote voluntary mentoring and tutoring charities aimed at widening access to universities.

David Willetts: The coalition Government have been very clear about the importance of widening participation and improving fair access in higher education—all those with the ability should have access to higher education irrespective of family income.
	To help make progress in the numbers of young people entering higher education from disadvantaged backgrounds, and in particular to the most selective universities, the Government are establishing a new framework, with increased responsibility placed on universities to widen participation. This includes arrangements for new annual access agreements under which universities plan to spend over £670 million in 2016/17 on measures to widen participation.
	Voluntary mentoring and tutoring are two of a number of widening participation activities. It is for institutions to choose, from those which they know work and have agreed with the independent Director of Fair Access, which activities aimed at widening access they wish to undertake. Universities focus their outreach and other activities where they will have the most impact for their institution.
	To make sure that we are doing everything possible to widen participation and promote fair access, BIS Ministers asked the Higher Education Funding Council (HEFCE) and the Office for Fair Access (OFFA) to develop a shared strategy for promoting access which maximises the impact of all the spending by Government, HEFCE and institutions. HEFCE and OFFA are due to deliver the strategy in autumn 2013.

ICT

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many (a) computers, (b) mobile telephones, (c) BlackBerrys and (d) other pieces of IT equipment were lost or stolen from his Department in (i) 2010-11, (ii) 2011-12 and (iii) 2012-13; and if he will make a statement.

Jo Swinson: During the financial year period 2010-11, 2011-12 and 2012-13, the number of items considered lost or stolen is listed as follows. It is not possible to differentiate between lost or stolen items. All IT items issued by the Department are encrypted and once reported as stolen or lost are disabled to ensure no data are compromised.
	
		
			  Type Lost/stolen 
			 (i) 2010-11   
			 (a) Computers BIS networked laptop 8 
			  BIS laptop 1 
			 (b) Mobile Phones BIS mobile phone 5 
			 (c) BlackBerrys BIS BlackBerry 24 
			 (d) Other IT Items BIS Remote Service (RSA) token 32 
			  BIS Remote Service (RITE) token 35 
			  BIS 3G Token/Card/Dongle 2 
			  BIS issued Braille note taker 2 
			  USB Memory Stick 2 
			    
			 (ii) 2011-12   
			 (a) Computers BIS networked laptop 7 
			 (b) Mobile Phones BIS mobile phone 4 
			 (c) BlackBerrys BIS BlackBerry 35 
		
	
	
		
			 (d) Other IT Items BIS Remote Service (RSA) token 19 
			  BIS Remote Service (RITE) token 35 
			  BIS 3G Token/Card/Dongle 2 
			    
			 (iii) 2012-13   
			 (a) Computers BIS laptop 5 
			 (b) Mobile Phones BIS mobile phone 7 
			 (c) BlackBerrys BIS BlackBerry 24 
			 (d) Other IT Items BIS Remote Service (RSA) token 16 
			  BIS Remote Service (RITE) token 37 
			  BIS 3G Token/Card/Dongle 1

Local Enterprise Partnerships: Greater London

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the London local enterprise partnership in (a) 2010,-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Fallon: The Government does not carry out formal assessments of the effectiveness of local enterprise partnerships (LEPs). Local enterprise partnerships are first and foremost accountable to their local community and local businesses. The London enterprise panel is an advisory panel to the Mayor of London, and its membership is drawn from London's business community and local authorities.

Patents

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many patents have been granted in each year between 2007 and 2012.

Jo Swinson: Patents are granted by different national and regional authorities worldwide. For patents having effect in the United Kingdom, I refer the hon. Member to my reply of 20 May 2013, Official Report, columns 631-32W. Worldwide patent figures are available from the World Intellectual Property Organisation and published on its website at:
	http://www.wipo.int/ipstats/en/wipi/index.html
	A summary of the relevant data is given in the following table:
	
		
			 Calendar year Worldwide patent grants 
			 2011 996,800 
			 2010 908,600 
			 2009 809,000 
			 2008 772,100 
			 2007 770,700 
			 Source: WIPO Statistics Database, October 2012 
		
	
	Patent data for 2012 are not yet available.

Pay

Dominic Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many employees in his Department were paid in excess of (a) £80,000 and (b) £100,000 in (i) 2012 and (ii) 2013.

Jo Swinson: The total number of employees who earned more than (a) £80,000 and (b) £100,000 in (i) 2012 and (ii) 2013 is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of BIS Employees 
			 Paid between £80,000 and £99,999 in 2012 44 
			 Paid over £100,000 in 2012 24 
			 Paid between £80,000 and £99,999 in 2013 46 
			 Paid over £100,000 in 2013 24 
		
	
	The table covers core BIS employees only. The figures have been based on basic salaries and allowances for staff as at 31 March 2012 and 31 March 2013.

Personnel Management

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many officials in his Department were employed in human resources functions in each of the last five years; at what grades such staff were employed; and what the total cost of his Department's human resources functions was.

Jo Swinson: In June 2009 the Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) was merged with the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) to create the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS). Therefore we only have access to data from this date.
	The following table shows the number of staff employed in human resources functions in each of the last four years by grade and the total costs associated with these staff.
	
		
			 Grade 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 
			 AA 9 2 0 0 
			 AO 26 20 19 9 
			 EO 21 13 9 6 
			 HEO 36 22 9 11 
			 SEO 8 9 14 13 
			 Grade 7 21 14 14 10 
			 Grade 6 14 13 14 12 
			 SCS 4 2 5 5 
			 Total staff 139 95 84 66 
			 Costs (£) 5,087,502 5,488,781 4,017,100 3,873,275

Post Office

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether Post Office Ltd holds a licence to copy or to certify copy certificates of birth, marriage, civil partnership or death.

Jo Swinson: Post Office Ltd operates commercially at an arm's-length from its shareholder, the Government. Issues relating to licences that the company holds are an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. I have therefore asked Paula Vennells, chief executive of Post Office Ltd, to respond directly to the hon. Member and a copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Postage Stamps

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he will take to ensure that the profile of Her Majesty the Queen will remain on postage stamps after privatisation.

Jo Swinson: The Government included an additional safeguard in the Postal Services Act 2011 to ensure that the Queen's head remains on stamps regardless of who owns the company in the future.

Postal Services: Scotland

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the potential effects of Scottish independence on the Royal Mail universal service obligation.

Jo Swinson: The Government's position is clear on Scottish independence: Scotland is stronger as part of the United Kingdom and the United Kingdom is stronger with Scotland in it.
	Parliament has guaranteed, through the Postal Services Act 2011, the future of the universal postal service throughout the UK—a six days a week, uniform priced service. This goes beyond requirements set down by European law and guarantees the high standard that the people of the UK have come to expect from their postal service.
	The steps taken by the Government to establish a new regulatory framework under Ofcom and to support Royal Mail, coupled with securing future access to private capital for the business, are the best way to safeguard the future of the “one price goes anywhere” universal service in the United Kingdom.
	If Scotland were to become independent, the six days a week, uniform priced service guaranteed under the Postal Services Act 2011 would no longer apply in Scotland. The framework for and provision of postal services would be a matter for the Government of an independent Scottish state to decide and implement.

Postal Services: Scotland

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the potential effects of Scottish independence on the valuation price of Royal Mail during the privatisation process.

Michael Fallon: No decisions have been made on the type of sale and the Government are not speculating on value. We will sell shares in Royal Mail at a commercial price that represents value for money for the tax payer and the value will be dependent on a number of factors, notably the company's ongoing financial performance, its future prospects and the level of investor interest.

Public Sector: Procurement

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will measure the effect of the proposed wording of Article 17 of the new EU Public Procurement Directive on (a) reserved contracts for supported employment workplaces and (b) employment opportunities for disabled people.

Michael Fallon: The Cabinet Office is leading on this Government's active involvement in negotiations with the European Commission on the EU procurement rules in their entirety and will also lead on their UK transposition. Transposition activities will include the generation of cross-Government and departmental policies and, where appropriate, the mechanisms through which the effect of those policies can be monitored, on this and other changes, in readiness for the as-yet-to-be determined UK implementation date.

Refrigeration: Job Creation

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will make an assessment of the potential for new jobs in UK companies which manufacture natural refrigeration equipment by adopting a European ban on the use of hydrofluorocarbons in commercial refrigeration equipment.

Richard Benyon: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
	Natural refrigerants are among a number of alternatives to hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) in commercial refrigeration equipment. Restrictions on HFCs in commercial refrigeration equipment would provide market opportunities for manufacturers of natural refrigeration equipment. However, the potential for new jobs depends on a wide range of factors which cannot yet be fully assessed. These include the timing of restrictions, the availability and technical feasibility of alternatives and the environmental and financial benefits of those alternatives across the range of refrigeration systems.

Regional Growth Fund

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 21 May 2013, on the Regional Growth Fund (RGF), what the total value was of all bids submitted for Round 4 of the RGF.

Michael Fallon: The total value of bids submitted for Round 4 is £1.9 billion. Announcement on selected bids will be made in the summer.

Regional Growth Fund

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 21 May 2013, on the Regional Growth Fund (RGF), what the total value is of those bids approved from Rounds 1 and 2 of the RGF which are still awaiting approved final offers; and what the reasons are for the time taken in approval.

Michael Fallon: From the first two rounds of the Regional Growth Fund (RGF), bids valued at £26.74 million are still awaiting approved final offers. The delay relates to the time taken by bidders to conclude investment decisions.

Regional Growth Fund

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 21 May 2013, Official Report, on the Regional Growth Fund, what proportion of the total bids by number for round 4 of the Regional Growth Fund (RGF) come from small business consortia; when he expects the remaining RGF awards for round 3 to be finalised; and what the total value is of those outstanding awards.

Michael Fallon: Round 4 of the Regional Growth Fund was open for projects and programmes only, and therefore no bids were received from small business consortia. However, 77 programmes have stated in their application that the principal beneficiaries of those programmes will be SMEs.
	8% (10 individual awards) of RGF Round 3 awards are yet to be finalised. The total value of these outstanding awards is £142 million. We expect these awards to be finalised or withdrawn within the next three months.

Regional Planning and Development

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what proposals he has for measures to promote local economies.

Michael Fallon: Local economies are supported by a range of Government initiatives such as Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs), Enterprise Zones, City Deals, Regional Growth Fund and the Growing Places Fund.
	As regards our proposals for the future, on 18 March 2013 the Government published a full response to my right hon. and noble Friend Lord Heseltine's report “No Stone Unturned”. My right hon. and noble Friend Lord Heseltine made a powerful case for increased devolution of economic powers from central Government, in particular for a transfer of funding and responsibilities to LEPs, and for a stronger voice and role for the private sector in promoting growth.
	The Government believe that local businesses and local communities are best placed to determine their priorities for local economic growth, including any marketing activity. We have accepted either in full or in part 81 recommendations. This includes the Single Local Growth Fund about which the Chancellor of the Exchequer, my right hon. Friend the Member for Tatton (Mr Osborne), will announce more at the spending round in June 2013.

Sign Language: Qualifications

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what specific funding his Department has made available for British Sign Language qualifications; how much funding is available; and how the funding is allocated.

Matthew Hancock: Funding for British Sign Language (BSL) qualifications is provided to Colleges and other training providers through the Adult Skills Budget. Where someone needs British Sign Language skills to help gain employment and is in receipt of jobseeker's allowance or employment support allowance (Work Related Activity Group) then this training can be fully funded. Colleges and training providers also have discretion to provide fully subsidised courses for people on a wide range of benefits where the training is designed to help them enter employment. For those outside of these entitlements they may be asked to contribute fully or partially to the cost of their learning.
	Colleges and training providers are responsible for using their funding to make provision to meet their local community needs. Full details can be found in the Skills Funding Statement published in December 2012.

Sign Language: Qualifications

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills which of the 19 British Sign Language qualifications on the Qualifications Credit Framework the Government fund.

Matthew Hancock: There are now 14 British Sign Language (BSL) qualifications on the Qualifications Credit Framework. Five BSL aims have been recently categorised by Ofqual as ‘ceased' but continuing learners will have been funded to complete their programme of learning on these ‘ceased' aims. The Government make public funding available for the 14 qualifications in 2012/13.

Students: Drugs

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the proportion of pupils in (a) further and (b) higher education who use exam-performance enhancing drugs such as Ritalin and Modafinil; and what assessment he has made of the effect of such drugs on overall attainment.

David Willetts: We have made no such assessment. As independent and autonomous institutions, further and higher education institutions are responsible for all matters relating to student conduct, including monitoring performance and attainment levels. Higher education is an adult environment. However, it is a long-established principle that universities have a duty of care to their students. This is also true for further education colleges where the age range of students is wider. As such, both types of institution will determine what welfare and counselling services they need to provide to their students to offer appropriate support.

Technology Strategy Board

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what proportion of Technology Strategy Board programmes have been allocated to each region in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12.

David Willetts: The Technology Strategy Board's spend in financial years 2010/11 and 2011/12 by region was as follows:
	
		
			 £ million 
			 Region Spend 2010/11 Spend 2011/12 
			 East Midlands 22.50 27.30 
		
	
	
		
			 East of England 7.42 12.99 
			 London 42.93 55.13 
			 North East 6.83 25.36 
			 North West 11.86 15.47 
			 Northern Ireland 2.36 3.33 
			 Scotland 9.97 11.41 
			 South East 50.39 59.17 
			 South West 15.55 32.57 
			 Wales 3.94 4.62 
			 West Midlands 15.42 18.98 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 10.09 19.20 
			 Total 199.26 285.53

Third Sector: EU Grants and Loans

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the level of European Union Social Business funding available for social enterprises and third sector organisations in (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2015-16; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Fallon: For the 2013/14 financial year the information is not available.
	The breakdown of EU funding for the 2014-20 programming period, including the two financial years 2014/15 and 2015/16, has yet to be decided. However, under the draft regulations at least 20% of the value of European Social Fund allocation will need to be dedicated to promoting social inclusion and combating poverty.

UK Trade & Investment: Northern Ireland

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on which occasions representatives from UK Trade & Investment have met Ministers in the Northern Ireland Executive in each of the last three years.

Michael Fallon: UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) representatives have met Northern Ireland Executive Ministers on the following occasions:
	31 January 2011—The Minister of State for Trade and Investment, my noble Friend Lord Green of Hurstpierpoint, met Arlene Foster MLA, Minister for Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment, as part of his visit to Northern Ireland.
	27 February 2012—Nick Baird, UKTI chief executive, met Arlene Foster MLA, Minister for Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment, as part of his visit to Northern Ireland.
	23 October 2012—The Minister of State for Trade and Investment, my noble Friend Lord Green of Hurstpierpoint, met Arlene Foster MLA, Minister for Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment, as part of his visit to Northern Ireland.

Unfair Practices: Oil

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what methods exist to recover profits attributable to anti-competitive practices from UK-registered oil companies.

Jo Swinson: The Competition Act 1998 and Articles 101 and 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union contain prohibitions of certain anti-competitive agreements such as cartels and of the abuse of a dominant position in a market. The Office of Fair Trading and the European Commission have the power to impose fines when a prohibition has been infringed. In addition, persons who suffer loss as a result of an infringement are entitled to seek damages to recover their loss. In January 2013 the Government announced proposals to make it easier for businesses and consumers to obtain redress for such losses.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Biofuels

Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions she has had with ministerial colleagues about the effect of current European biofuels mandates on food prices; and what steps she is taking in response to such effects.

Lynne Featherstone: The Government are aware of the issues associated with biofuels, including potential social, environmental and food security impacts. We believe that food production must remain the primary goal of agriculture and production of biomass for bioenergy must not undermine food security in developing countries. The Government's analysis concludes that biofuels have had a minor impact on global food prices compared to other more important factors such as energy prices and weather conditions.

Biofuels

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the potential link between global hunger and the use of crops for biofuels.

Justine Greening: The Government believe that food production must remain the primary goal of agriculture and production of biomass for bioenergy must not undermine food security in developing countries. The Government’s analysis concludes that biofuels have had a minor impact on global food prices compared to other more important factors such as energy prices and weather conditions.

Developing Countries: Agriculture

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps the Government are taking to seek agreement from Governments attending the 2013 G8 Summit to finance country agriculture plans identified in the G8's 2012 accountability report.

Lynne Featherstone: The G8 Summit will focus on generating growth, jobs and prosperity for the long term. To achieve this the UK G8 focuses on open economies, open Governments and open societies to support free trade, tackle tax evasion and encourage greater transparency and accountability.
	The UK Government are hosting the ‘Nutrition for Growth’ event on 8 June, which will include a focus on the New Alliance on Food Security and Nutrition, launched under the United States' G8 presidency last year. The New Alliance aims to accelerate responsible investment in African agriculture in support of partner countries’ agriculture investment plans. We are expecting further African countries to launch New Alliance co-operation frameworks on 8 June, which will include mutual commitments by Governments, the private sector and donors to promote responsible investment in agriculture.

Developing Countries: Agriculture

Fiona O'Donnell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps her Department has taken to increase investment in smallholder agriculture in the last three years.

Lynne Featherstone: In the last three years, DFID has spent approximately £500 million per year on food security, excluding humanitarian response. This includes programmes which provide support to smallholder agriculture in many countries, through a wide range of partners. For example, DFID is supporting land tenure in Rwanda, which will provide four million poor men and women with title to the land they farm, and supporting a Farm Input Subsidy Programme in Malawi to help 1.5 million poor farmers increase their agricultural productivity.
	DFID also works with the private sector through Challenge Funds which help bring smallholder producers into agricultural value chains. For example, a company supported by this Challenge Fund in Zimbabwe will offer 35,000 small holders access to a secure grain store which will maintain the quality of their crops. DFID is also taking steps to help smallholder farmers to adapt to climate change. A grant of up to £150 million in being provided to the International Fund for Agriculture Development for its Adaptation for Smallholder Agriculture Programme. This will support climate adapted agricultural practices that will benefit up to six million smallholder farmers.

Developing Countries: Agriculture

Fiona O'Donnell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps she will take at this year’s G8 summit to secure greater public investment in smallholder agriculture in developing countries.

Justine Greening: The G8 summit will focus on generating growth, jobs and prosperity for the long term. To achieve this, the UK G8 focuses on open economies, open Governments and open societies to support free trade, tackle tax evasion and encourage greater transparency and accountability.
	The UK Government are hosting the “Nutrition for Growth” event on 8 June, which will include a focus on the New Alliance on Food Security and Nutrition, launched under the United States’ G8 presidency last year. The New Alliance aims to accelerate responsible investment in African agriculture in support of partner countries’ agriculture investment plans. We are expecting further African countries to launch New Alliance co-operation frameworks on 8 June. These will include mutual commitments by Governments, the private sector and donors to promote responsible investment in agriculture and inclusive business models which connect smallholders to markets in a sustainable way.

Developing Countries: Business

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the role of corporate transparency in the post-2015 development framework.

Justine Greening: The High Level Panel's (HLP) report calls for a "transparency revolution" by Governments and companies, as a basis for poverty eradication and inclusive growth. This means tackling tax evasion and aggressive avoidance, hidden ownership of assets, and corruption, as well as promoting accountability to citizens and shareholders. The HLP recommends a target in the new goal framework on using and publishing economic, social and environmental accounts in all Governments and major companies.

Developing Countries: Business

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  what steps she plans to take in order to promote corporate transparency as part of the post-2015 development framework;
	(2)  what discussions (a) she and (b) Ministers in her Department have had with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills or other Ministers in that Department regarding corporate reporting and the post-2015 development framework.

Justine Greening: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the right hon. Member for Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough (Mr Blunkett) on 20 May 2013, Official Report, column 521W.

Developing Countries: Disability

David Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the role of the High-Level Panel on the Sustainable Development Goals in redressing any exclusion of disabled people from development programmes.

Lynne Featherstone: One of the High-Level Panel's core messages is “leave no one Behind”. In a major change from the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), its report recommends that goals and targets will only be ‘achieved’ if they are met for all groups—this means people with disabilities as well as groups defined by ethnicity, gender, income, and other factors. Data on progress towards all goals should be disaggregated by these groups.
	The report also addresses a key lesson of the MDGs regarding disabilities by stating that all children “regardless of circumstance” should have access to primary and secondary education, and achieve standards of learning. The Prime Minister worked hard on the panel to ensure disabilities were properly addressed.

Developing Countries: Economic Growth

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of Britain's aid budget is allocated to projects targeted towards economic growth and economic development.

Justine Greening: In 2012-13, 7.5% of the bilateral aid budget (£615 million) was spent on Wealth Creation projects. In addition, we estimate that about the same share again is spent by multilaterals, including the World Bank and regional development banks, on Wealth Creation.
	The figures do not include the indirect contribution that other interventions make to economic growth and economic development.

Developing Countries: Economic Growth

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what mechanisms are in place to ensure that the UK 0.7 per cent aid commitments are allocated towards projects which support economic growth.

Justine Greening: Operational planning processes for programmes directly and indirectly focused on economic development and growth are ongoing, and we continue to monitor results on a regular basis.

Developing Countries: Health Services

Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how her Department is supporting the training and support of community health workers in countries with a high burden of maternal, newborn and child mortality.

Lynne Featherstone: There is increasing evidence that community health workers are an essential part of a skilled health work force and can be especially critical in countries with a high burden of maternal, newborn and child mortality. The Department for International Development focuses its work in high burden countries, and supports those that have elected to include community health workers within their health care system.
	For example, in Zambia DFID is supporting the Government to expand their community health assistant programme in which health assistants take on tasks, previously done by nurses, such as treatment of pneumonia and malaria. In Pakistan, with DFID support, nearly 100,000 Lady Health Workers provide outreach preventive and curative services to around 80 million people, with a positive impact on family planning, antenatal care, breast feeding and vaccination.

Developing Countries: Health Services

Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much and what proportion her Department spent annually on improving maternal, newborn and child health over the last three years.

Lynne Featherstone: The UK Statistics for International Development (SID) 2007-08 to 2011-12 were published in May 2013. These are available at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-international-development/about/statistics
	SID does not disaggregate maternal, newborn and child health expenditure. However, 22% of DFID's bilateral programme was classified under the ‘Health’ sector (£929 million).
	Total bilateral spending under health, including spending to improve maternal, newborn and child health for the periods requested, is as follows:
	2009-10: £683 million
	2010-11: £830 million
	2011-12: £929 million.
	At the Muskoka 2010 G8 Summit, the G8 partners launched the Muskoka Initiative on Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (MNCH). An agreed methodology for tracking donor support to MNCH has been agreed and the UK results were reported in the 2012 G8 Accountability Report available at:
	http://www.g8.utoronto.ca/summit/2012campdavid/g8-cdar.html
	The report noted that the G8 is on track to meet its commitment based on self-reported annual targets over baseline budgets and progress against those targets to date. A revised 2013 report will be released in the coming months.

Developing Countries: Health Services

Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which of her Department's priority countries are categorised as having a health worker shortage.

Lynne Featherstone: There are 57 countries identified as having a critical shortage of health workers, with a doctor, nurse or midwife density of less than 2.3 per 1,000 population. The following countries with a critical shortage overlap with DFID's priority countries:
	Afghanistan
	Bangladesh
	Burma
	Democratic Republic of Congo
	Ethiopia
	Ghana
	India
	Kenya
	Liberia
	Malawi
	Mozambique
	Nepal
	Nigeria
	Pakistan
	Rwanda
	Sierra Leone
	Somalia
	South Sudan
	Tanzania
	Uganda
	Yemen
	Zambia
	Zimbabwe.
	As a new country, South Sudan was not included in the original list of crisis countries, but qualifies both as a DFID priority country and as a country with a critical shortage.

Developing Countries: Health Services

Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which countries her Department has supported to remove out-of-pocket payments for health.

Lynne Featherstone: Out-of-pocket payments made at the time that health services are used, whether in the public or the private sector, act as a major barrier to access for poor people, especially women and children. Many countries around the world have committed to move towards universal health coverage (UHC), which the World Health Organisation (WHO) defines as all people having access to the health services they need without the risk of financial hardship associated with direct out-of-pocket payments. The UK has a long track record of supporting countries to replace out-of-pocket payments with more equitable and efficient means of financing health care and has used a range of mechanisms to do so.
	The UK has provided direct bilateral support to several countries as they removed out-of-pocket payments, including Uganda, Burundi, Sierra Leone and Nepal, and is designing new support to Ghana, Kenya and Mozambique. The UK also funds the Department of Health Systems and Financing at WHO, which is supporting more than 20 countries to develop more equitable health financing systems. Through the Health Results Innovation Trust Fund at the World Bank the UK is helping countries such as Zimbabwe, Yemen and Burkina Faso to replace out-of-pocket payments by patients with performance-based payment of health facilities by Government.

Developing Countries: Health Services

Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which of her Department's priority countries charge out-of-pocket payments for health services.

Lynne Featherstone: In all countries, including all of DFID's priority countries, some people are required to make out-of-pocket payments to cover some or all of the cost of their health care. In public health systems people may face either official out-of-pocket payments (such as user fees charged at government health facilities in many low-income countries) or unofficial fees charged by health workers to supplement their incomes or to cover the cost of medicines and supplies that are not otherwise available. Non-state providers of services such as mission facilities or private practitioners usually charge fees to some or all patients.

Developing Countries: Health Services

Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the effects of the global shortage of health workers on the achievement of the objectives set out in her Department's Framework for Results on Reproductive, Maternal and Newborn Health.

Lynne Featherstone: The shortage of health workers, globally, affects many of the poorest countries particularly hard. Recognising this, the UK invests in health worker management and retention and especially both pre-service and in-service skills training. The last review of the UK's Health Portfolio published in 2010 demonstrated that 25% of health spending is directed towards human resources. The UK has signed the World Health Organisation Code of Practice on International Recruitment of Health Workers.
	The UK's Framework for Results on Reproductive, Maternal and Newborn Health committed the UK to increase, by 2 million, the number of births attended by trained and skilled birth attendants and to save 50,000 maternal lives and 250,000 newborn lives. These results will require skilled health workers who are trained, deployed where most needed and able to deliver the care that women and babies need. These results will not be achieved without additional investments in training and deploying appropriately skilled health workers. The UK supports a number of training programmes including, for example, the Making it Happen programme, which plans to train 17,000 health workers in 11 countries by 2015. The first phase of this programme (2009 to 2011) saw a 50% reduction in maternal death rates and a 15% reduction in the proportion of babies who were stillborn at participating health facilities.

Developing Countries: Land

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether the Government will be seeking agreement at the G8 Summit for binding principles of land disclosure, pre-deal transparency, and free, prior and informed consent of affected communities on international land deals.

Justine Greening: In 2012, the G8 welcomed the successful conclusion of the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests by the Committee on World Food Security.
	This year, the UK is pushing for further action by the G8 and its partners to support the national implementation of the voluntary guidelines.

Developing Countries: Land

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans the Government have to establish a new multilateral Land Transparency Initiative to address international land grabs at the 2013 G8 Summit meeting.

Justine Greening: The Prime Minister has outlined an ambitious agenda for the UK's G8 presidency, aimed at advancing trade, ensuring tax compliance and promoting transparency. We will use the G8 presidency to promote responsible and productive land-based investments through greater transparency.

Developing Countries: Land

Fiona O'Donnell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proposals her Department is putting forward in this year’s G8 meetings to protect communities’ right to know about and decide on international land deals that affect their homes and livelihood.

Justine Greening: The Prime Minister has outlined an ambitious agenda for the UK’s G8 presidency, aimed at advancing trade, ensuring tax compliance and promoting transparency. We will use the G8 presidency to promote responsible and productive land-based investments through greater transparency.
	In 2012, the G8 welcomed the successful conclusion of the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests by the Committee on World Food Security. This year, the UK is pushing for further action by the G8 and its partners to support the national implementation of the voluntary guidelines. The guidelines ensure adequate protection of communities’ tenure rights and involvement in deals affecting them.

Developing Countries: Maternal Mortality

Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment she has made of international maternal mortality rates; and what steps her Department is taking to reduce those rates.

Lynne Featherstone: Globally, an estimated 287,000 maternal deaths occurred in 2010, a decline of 47% from levels in 1990.
	The UK has committed to: save the lives of at least 50,000 women during pregnancy and childbirth and 250,000 newborn babies by 2015; and support at least 2 million safe deliveries, ensuring long lasting improvements in quality maternity services, particularly for the poorest 40%. To achieve this, the UK Government are putting women and children at the heart of our development efforts. All DFID focus countries have a country-level or regional programme to improve reproductive, maternal and newborn health. They aim to prevent the three delays which cause maternal and child deaths: the delay in decision to seek care; the delay in reaching care; and the delay in receiving care. The UK is also committed to work to empower women and girls to make healthy reproductive choices; remove barriers to accessing services; expand the supply of quality services; and improve accountability for results.

Developing Countries: Natural Disasters

Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the relationship is between the Hyogo Framework for Action 2 and the post-Millennium Development Goal process.

Justine Greening: The global post-2015 development framework and the successor to the Hyogo Framework for Action are important international frameworks. The UK supports the inclusion of disaster resilience within the next global development framework in order to ensure that disaster risk management is an integral part of future development efforts. The UK will also have a role in shaping and negotiating the successor to the Hyogo Framework for Action to ensure it strengthens global commitments and implementation in this area. It will be important that the two frameworks are closely aligned.

Developing Countries: Neonatal Mortality

Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps her Department is taking to reduce rates of neonatal mortality in developing countries.

Lynne Featherstone: The UK strongly supports the implementation of the United Nations Secretary-General's Global Strategy for Women's and Children's Health, "Every Woman Every Child" (EWEC), to reduce maternal deaths and improve child mortality with the aim of saving the lives of 16 million women and children by 2015. As part of this strategy, the UK has committed to save the lives of at least 50,000 women during pregnancy and childbirth and 250,000 newborn babies by 2015; and support at least 2 million safe deliveries, ensuring long lasting improvements in quality maternity services, particularly for the poorest 40%.
	To achieve this, the UK Government are putting women and children at the heart of our development efforts. All DFID focus countries have a country-level or regional programme to improve reproductive, maternal and newborn health. They aim to prevent the three delays which cause maternal and child deaths; the delay in decision to seek care, the delay in reaching care; and delay in receiving care. The UK is also working to empower women and girls to make healthy reproductive choices; remove barriers to accessing services; expand the supply of quality services; and improve accountability for results.

International Assistance

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions Ministers have had with the ONE organisation on progress towards the Millennium Development Goals.

Lynne Featherstone: The Secretary of State for International Development, the right hon. Member for Putney (Justine Greening), has met ONE, alongside other non-governmental organisations, to discuss developing a replacement framework for the Millennium Development Goals, and the IF campaign. Other DFID Ministers have not had discussions with ONE.

Nigeria

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what representations she has made to the Nigerian authorities in connection with the need to ensure civilian safety during the recent military offensive in the north-east region of that country.

Lynne Featherstone: Protecting human rights is essential for maintaining the support of the population in the face of terrorism and religious extremism. We have raised the issue with the Nigerian authorises at the highest levels.
	I was on a visit to Nigeria when the State of Emergency was declared in three states in the north of the country. In a meeting with Nigerian Vice-President Sambo I took the opportunity to emphasise the need for human rights to be respected. During the discussion the Vice President assured me that the armed forces deployed under the State of Emergency had clear rules of engagement to protect human rights. The UK Government will continue to encourage the Nigerian Government to ensure that those rules of engagement are effective in protecting civilians.

Overseas Aid

Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions she has had with ministerial colleagues about the suitability of using part of her Department's budget for peacekeeping and military purposes.

Justine Greening: I have regular discussions with ministerial colleagues, including through my membership of the National Security Council, about my Department's role alongside others in how best to tackle conflict and instability around the world, in accordance with the existing international rules on overseas development assistance spending.

Overseas Aid

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much bilateral assistance is programmed to be delivered through multilateral agencies in 2013-14.

Justine Greening: These figures will be published in Statistics in International Development in autumn 2014.

Personnel Management

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many officials in her Department were employed in human resources functions in each of the last five years; at what grades such staff were employed; and what the total cost of her Department's human resources functions was.

Alan Duncan: The number of human resources officials within DFID, by grade and the total cost of the HR function for each of the last five years, is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 
			 Number of Officials 117 101 81 66 66 
			 Director 1 1 1 1 2 
			 Deputy Director 2 2 2 2 1 
			 G6 9 9 9 6 7 
			 G7 10 13 10 10 8 
			 SEO 14 13 9 9 11 
			 HEO 20 22 16 13 12 
			 EO 20 19 17 13 14 
			 AO 38 22 16 11 10 
			 AA 3 0 1 1 1 
			       
			 Total cost of Department (£)(1) 7,840,000.00 6,365,000.00 5,259,000.00 3,703,000.00 3,741,000.00 
			 (1) These figures include both salary and non salary costs (i.e. costs of such as legal costs, training costs, recruitment costs and policy/operational delivery etc.).

Scotland

David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list the legislation her Department has sponsored which has devolved powers to the Scottish Parliament and powers within such legislation since 1998.

David Mundell: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Scotland Office.
	The Scotland Office is responsible for maintaining and strengthening the devolution settlement; together with lead policy Departments we have delivered a programme of Scotland Act orders that have provided additional powers to the Scottish Parliament, as well as delivering the Scotland Act 2012, which enhanced the devolution settlement and provided the largest transfer of financial responsibility since 1999.
	Further devolution to the Scottish Parliament is principally achieved by way of amendments to schedules 4 and 5 to the Act. Since 1998 the following changes to those schedules have been made. These are presented in summary form.
	Amendments to schedule 4 to the Scotland Act 1998
	Power to modify the Scotland Act 1998 regarding financial assistance for opposition parties in the Scottish Parliament.
	Powers to modify certain provisions of the Scotland Act 1998 requiring any sum to be payable out of the Scottish Consolidated Fund.
	Power to provide that proceedings brought in a court or tribunal against a member of the Scottish Government under the Scotland Act 1998 on human rights grounds have to be brought before the end of a limitation period (since repealed by Scotland Act 2012).
	Amendments to schedule 5 to the Scotland Act 1998
	Political parties
	The making of payments to any political party for the purpose of assisting members of the Parliament to perform their parliamentary duties.
	Referendum
	A power to allow the Scottish Parliament to conduct a referendum on the independence of Scotland from the rest of the United Kingdom, subject to certain conditions.
	Financial and economic matters
	Powers to set a rate of income tax to be paid by Scottish taxpayers, and taxes in relation to land transactions and landfill.
	Home affairs
	The interception of any communication made to or by a person detained at a place of detention.
	The regulation of air weapons.
	Trade and industry
	Powers in relation to business associations which are social landlords, including in relation to winding up proceedings and procedures giving protection from creditors.
	Powers to provide financial assistance for the provision of services (other than postal services and services relating to money or postal orders) to be provided from public post offices.
	Transport
	Powers to impose requirements on Scottish public authorities about the preparation and submission of strategies relating to the provision of rail services.
	Powers to transfer functions of passenger transport executives or passenger transport authorities relating to rail services, and the allocation of such functions among relevant authorities.
	The promotion and construction of railways which start, end and remain in Scotland.
	Power to impose requirements on Scottish public authorities about the preparation and submission of strategies relating to the provision of air services.
	Social security
	Powers to provide occasional financial or other assistance to or in respect of individuals for the purposes of meeting an immediate short-term need, arising out of exceptional services, to avoid risk to the individual’s well-being, or enabling qualifying individuals to establish or maintain a settled home.
	Employment
	Fire safety on construction sites and on certain premises, including those concerned in the manufacture or storage of chemicals, explosives or flammable materials.
	Amendment to part 1 of the Scotland Act 1998
	Elections
	Power to make provision as to the conduct of elections for membership of the Scottish Parliament, and the questioning of such an election and the consequences of irregularities. Made by the Scotland Act 2012 and yet to be brought into force.

St Helena

Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when the airport at St Helena will be completed; and if she will make a statement.

Alan Duncan: Work on the St Helena airport continues to proceed well. The contractual completion date for the airport remains February 2016.

Sudan

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the implications of the current security situation in Darfur on (a) the delivery of aid, (b) access for humanitarian agencies and (c) the performance of UNAMID in that region.

Lynne Featherstone: I continue to be concerned about the security situation in Darfur, which is deteriorating. The UK continues to press the Government of Sudan, rebel movements and tribal leaders to work for peace as well as lobbying for access through our bilateral relations and in the UN Security Council. The lack of access in Darfur is seriously impacting the ability of agencies to deliver aid. As acknowledged in a report of 10 April to the UN Security Council by the UN Secretary General, the United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur could be more effective in carrying out its mandate to protect civilians. Officials have discussed the effectiveness of the mission on a number of occasions over the past few months with the newly appointed Joint Special Representative Mohamed Ibn Chambas.

Sudan

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what reports she has received of the recent Darfur Donor Conference in Doha.

Lynne Featherstone: Senior UK officials attended the Darfur Donor Conference in Doha on 7 to 8 April. The conference was a welcome opportunity to refocus international attention on the continuing insecurity and under-development in Darfur. We were pleased to see the overwhelming support among international partners for building real peace in Darfur. At the Conference the UK welcomed the re-commitment the Government of Sudan and the Liberation and Justice Movement made to meet their obligations under the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur. My officials took the opportunity to remind the Government of Sudan of the need to improve the operating environment for development to be effective. Development partners need access to design, implement and monitor programmes.

Sudan

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the humanitarian situation in Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile states; and what representations she has made to the Government of Sudan to ensure access for humanitarian agencies in that region.

Lynne Featherstone: We are deeply concerned by the ongoing conflict between the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) and the Government of Sudan in South Kordofan and Blue Nile and the impact this is having on civilians. The ongoing violence and restrictions on access make assessing the humanitarian need difficult. However discussions with UN agencies and non-governmental organisations and the condition of new refugee arrivals in Ethiopia and South Sudan point to an increasingly urgent situation. We continue to urge both parties to agree a cessation of hostilities. Once access is granted, we will move quickly to understand what help is needed, and ensure that independent humanitarian agencies can start to provide the assistance required.

Turks and Caicos Islands

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what financial support her Department has provided to the British Overseas Territory, Turks and Caicos Islands, in the last 12 months.

Alan Duncan: DFID has not provided any direct financial assistance to the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) Government over the last 12 months. A commercial bank loan facility of US$260 million is supported by the UK Government until 2016. DFID also provided technical assistance to improve the TCI Government's management of their finances.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Arrest Warrants

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many requests have been made by other European countries for use of the European Arrest Warrant in each year for which data are available; and which 10 countries have made the largest number of requests over this period;
	(2)  how many times the UK European Arrest Warrant has been used by the UK in each year for which data are available.

Mark Harper: The European Arrest Warrant (EAW) scheme is managed by the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA), although policy oversight is the responsibility of Home Office Ministers. I would refer the hon. Gentleman to the written ministerial statement of 16 April which informed the House of an error SOCA had identified in the capture and reporting of information on the number of outgoing EAW (Part 3) requests that have been executed since 2009-10. HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary (HMCIC) was asked to review SOCA's processes and to report back to the Secretary of State for the Home Department, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), by mid-May. The report has been submitted; amended data will be supplied to Parliament shortly.

Asylum

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications from (a) men and (b) women for section 95 support and section 4 support have been (i) received and (ii) accepted in the last five years for which figures are available.

Mark Harper: The information requested is shown in the following tables. The figures are taken from management information and have not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols.
	
		
			 Section 95 applications 
			  Female applications Male applications Total 
			 Financial year Received Accepted Received Accepted Received Accepted 
			 2008-09 5,963 5,133 10,740 9,341 16,703 14,474 
			 2009-10 4,899 4,197 8,375 7,183 13,274 11,380 
			 2010-11 3,886 3,462 7,726 6,817 11,612 10,279 
			 2011-12 3,762 3,368 7,745 6,921 11,507 10,289 
			 2012-13 4,269 3,841 7,600 6,762 11,869 10,603 
		
	
	
		
			 Section 4 applications 
			  Female applications Male applications Total 
			 Financial year Received Accepted Received Accepted Received Accepted 
			 2008-09 3,077 2,393 10,322 8,302 15,792 10,695 
			 2009-10 2,990 1,901 10,352 6,851 15,243 8,752 
			 2010-11 2,180 1,027 11,390 5,362 14,597 6,389 
			 2011-12 1,287 609 5,529 2,892 7,425 3,501 
			 2012-13 1,230 783 6,128 4,579 8,141 5,362

Asylum

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of decisions on (a) asylum cases waiting more than six months for a decision in the year to September 2012, (b) asylum cases concluded within a year in the third quarter of 2012, (c) settlement applications made by asylum seekers in the third quarter of 2012, (d) asylum cases being worked on in the third quarter of 2012 and (e) asylum cases awaiting an initial decision at the end of 2012 were applications made by women.

Mark Harper: The information is as follows:
	(a) Of the asylum cases waiting more than six months for an initial decision at the end of September 2012, 28% of those applications had been made by women.
	(b) From a cohort of asylum applications made in 2011 Q3, of the applications concluded within one year (i.e. concluded by the end of 2012 Q3), 25% had been made by women.
	(c) In response to point c, there were a total of 2,650 decisions on settlement applications made by asylum seekers between July and September 2012. Of these, 1,017 applications (38%) were made by women.
	(d) Of the asylum cases being worked on (pending an initial decision or pending further review) at the end of the third quarter of 2012, 29% of those asylum applications had been made by women.
	(e) Of the asylum cases awaiting an initial decision at the end of 2012, 30% of those asylum applications had been made by women.
	Figures for (a),(b),(d) and (e) refer to main applicants only, and exclude dependants.
	Figures for (c) refer to main applicants and dependants.
	The figures for (a), (d) and (e) are an unpublished subset of published National Statistics asylum applications pending information available in Table as.0l.q (Asylum data tables Volume 1) of Immigration Statistics. Figures relate to the number of cases pending at the end of the reference period. The latest release Immigration Statistics October to December 2012 is available in the Library of the House and from the Home Office Science website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/immigration-asylum-research/immigration-q4-2012/
	The figure for (b) is calculated from the "Percentage of asylum applications concluded in one year" (management information) figures, published on the former UKBA website on:
	http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/aboutus/percentage-of-asylum-application/
	Figures for (c) are from unpublished management information and relate to settlement applications raised (i.e. received) between 1 July and 30 September 2012.
	Figures from management information have not been quality assured to the same level as National Statistics.

Bellerbys College

Tessa Jowell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the letter of 21 August 2012 from the right hon. Member for Dulwich and West Norwood to the Department for Education, which was referred to the UK Border Agency regarding allegations of widespread falsification of examination results at Bellerbys College, when she plans to provide the right hon. Member with an update on the ongoing investigation; who has responsibility for any such investigation; and what steps she plans to take following the report of that investigation.

Mark Harper: I will write separately to the right hon. Member about this question.

British Nationality

Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many British citizens have had citizenship revoked (a) in total, (b) for reasons not conducive to the public good and (c) for fraud, false representation or concealment of facts on a citizenship application in each year since 2000;
	(2)  what factors she takes into account when considering whether to remove British citizenship for reasons not conducive to public good;
	(3)  how many British citizens who have had their citizenship revoked since 1 January 2000 had been British citizens for (a) less than one year, (b) between one and 10 years and (c) more than 10 years;
	(4)  how many people have had British citizenship revoked for reasons relating to (a) terrorism and (b) Islamic extremism since 2000;
	(5)  how many British citizens have had citizenship revoked since 1 January 2000; what other nationalities each held; and how many initially acquired British citizenship by each available route;
	(6)  how many (a) men and (b) women have had British citizenship revoked in each year since 2000;
	(7)  how many people who have had British citizenship revoked in each year since 2000 were aged (a) under 18, (b) between 18 and 34, (c) between 35 and 54 and (d) 55 years of age and over on the date of revocation.

Mark Harper: Since 2000, 24 individuals have had their British citizenship revoked in the following years:
	
		
			  Number 
			 2006 1 
			 2007 1 
			 2009 2 
			 2010 5 
			 2011 6 
			 2012 6 
			 2013 3 
		
	
	Of the 24, 20 were deprived on conducive grounds alone; two on both conducive and fraudulent grounds and two because of fraud, false representation or concealment of facts.
	The Secretary of State may deprive an individual when it is ‘Conducive to the Public Good', on the grounds of involvement in terrorism, espionage, serious organised crime, war crimes or unacceptable behaviours. She shall not deprive a person of their British citizenship on ‘conducive' grounds if it would render the individual stateless.
	For reasons of confidentiality, the Home Office does not routinely comment on individual cases and so it is not appropriate to indicate why individuals have been deprived for the specific reasons set out in the question.
	Of the 24 individuals that have had their citizenship revoked—two had British citizenship for less than one year; 13 had held citizenship between 1-10 years; nine had held citizenship for more than 10 years.
	The 24 individuals’ other nationalities were: Russian, Somalian, Yemeni, Australian, Pakistani, Afghan, Albanian, Egyptian, Lebanese, Sudanese, Vietnamese, Iranian, Iraqi and Nigerian. These individuals had either held British citizenship from birth or acquired it by application.
	The 24 revocation cases are made up of both male and female individuals, all of whom were over the age of 18. For reasons of confidentiality, the Home Office does not routinely comment on individual cases and so it is not appropriate to indicate specifically the number of male and female cases or the ages of those deprived as set out in my hon. Friend’s question.
	This information has been provided from local management information and is not a National Statistic. As such it should be treated as provisional and therefore subject to change.

Community Orders

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many community resolutions have been used by each police force in each of the last five years;
	(2)  what the 10 most frequent offences are for which community resolutions have been used as an out-of-court disposal in the latest period for which figures are available.

Jeremy Browne: The information requested is not available from the police recorded crime data collected by the Home Office. Police forces have been able to submit community resolution data since 2011-12. However, such disposals are included in the group of non-sanction detections and cannot be separately identified from other disposals in that group.

Conditions of Employment

Pamela Nash: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many officials in her Department are employed on zero hours contracts.

James Brokenshire: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 1 February 2013, Official Report, column 997W.

Crime: Victims

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information her Department collects on satisfaction rates of victims of crime with their treatment by police for each police force in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13; and if she will make a statement.

Damian Green: Police forces conduct user satisfaction surveys and submit data quarterly to the Department as part of the Annual Data Requirement (ADR). Forces must ask a number of specified questions covering first contact, response, follow-up, treatment and overall experience. The Home Office holds data up to and including December 2012. Data on overall user experience for the 12-month period to December 2012 are made available on the website of Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary as part of its interactive Crime Comparator tool:
	http://www.hmic.gov.uk/crime-and-policing-comparator/#chart2
	A more detailed breakdown of the data covering the period January 2009 to December 2012 is available for download from:
	http://www.hmic.gov.uk/data/crime-and-policing-comparator-data/
	A copy of the data has been placed in the House Library.

Departmental Responsibilities

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (a) what the budget is of and (b) how many individuals are employed in the Crime Team in her Department.

Damian Green: The Home Office undertakes a wide range of activity related to cutting crime, both operational and policy. The Home Office Business Plan will be published shortly. It will present the budgets and number of staff in the Department, including those for the Crime and Policing Group, which has responsibility for crime policy.

Domestic Violence

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many calls citing complaints of (a) domestic violence and (b) antisocial behaviour police forces received in the last 12 months; and how many people who had made such calls subsequently received visits from the police;
	(2)  how many (a) arrests were made on charges relating to domestic violence and (b) emergency telephone calls concerning allegations of domestic violence were logged by police forces in the last 12 months.

Jeremy Browne: The number of calls citing complaints of victimisation of domestic violence or antisocial behaviour is not collected by the Home Office. Figures are collected instead on numbers of reported incidents.
	The latest available information collected by the Home Office shows that there were 796,935 reported domestic violence and abuse incidents in England and Wales in 2011-12 (excluding Gloucestershire as their figure was unavailable and also excluding the British Transport Police). These figures are provisional and not verified by police forces. The number of people who made calls of domestic violence and antisocial behaviour who subsequently received visits from the police is not collected by the Home Office.
	The total number of antisocial behaviour incidents reported by the police in England and Wales for the year ending September 2012 was 2.4 million. The percentage of these incidents which resulted in a visit from the police is estimated to be approximately 77%. This figure reflects the number of incidents and not the number of victims visited. Forces that could not fully record the category breakdown of these incidents were excluded from the calculation and the figures exclude the British Transport Police. These figures have not undergone detailed data quality checks.
	The requested arrests data are not collected centrally. The number of emergency telephone calls concerning allegations of domestic violence is not collected by the Home Office.

Entry Clearances

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many decisions on (a) entry clearance visa applications, (b) resolution of entry clearance visas and (c) issue of entry clearance visas were made on applications by (i) men and (ii) women in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Mark Harper: The Home Office publishes extensive data on entry clearance visas on an annual and quarterly basis. While these data are not disaggregated by gender, a full breakdown of the number of visa applications received and their resolution is published. The data requested have been compiled from published statistics and are shown below:
	
		
			 Table 1: Entry clearance visa applications and resolution, 2008 to 2012 
			  Applications Resolved Issued Refused Withdrawn Lapsed 
			 2008 2,440,369 2,402,475 1,954,605 428,603 14,134 5,133 
			 2009 2,447,391 2,449,587 1,995,353 428,274 18,475 7,485 
			 2010 2,529,962 2,553,749 2,144,621 379,456 26,470 3,202 
			 2011 2,607,142 2,616,350 2,275,417 320,771 17,888 2,274 
			 2012 2,562,517 2,584,667 2,229,357 339,965 13,042 2,303 
			 Note: Data compiled from Table “be.01q” of the release “Immigration Statistics January to March 2013”, available from the Library of the House and from the GOV.UK website at: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/home-office/series/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release

Entry Clearances: Domestic Service

Pamela Nash: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many overseas domestic servant visas were issued to applicants resident in Scotland in each of the last three years.

Mark Harper: Entry clearance visa applications are made from outside the UK. Applications for extensions of stay are made within the UK. The available information relates to the total number of visas and extensions issued for the whole of the UK, and does not provide a breakdown by the location of the visa applicant's sponsor nor a country breakdown of the location of those granted extensions. The numbers issued for the whole of the UK are given in the following tables:
	
		
			 Entry clearance visas issued—domestic workers in private households 
			 Applicant type 2010 2011 2012 
			 Main applicant 15,351 16,198 15,553 
			 Dependant 336 247 194 
			 Source: Immigration Statistics, October to December 2012 table be.04 
		
	
	
		
			 Grants of extensions of stay—domestic workers in private households 
			 Applicant type 2010 2011 2012 
			 Main applicant 6,645 6,156 3,738 
			 Dependant 608 490 311 
			 Source: Immigration Statistics, October to December 2012 table ex.01 
		
	
	The latest Home Office immigration statistics on entry clearance visas and on extensions of stay are published in the release Immigration Statistics October-December 2012, which is available from the Library of the House and on the Department's website at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-october-to-december-2012/immigration-statistics-october-to-december-2012

Entry Clearances: Israel

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Israelis have been refused visa applications to travel or visit the UK in the last three years.

Mark Harper: The latest available statistics for applications for visas, their issue and refusal for Israelis for the last three years appear in the table.
	Israelis are included in the group of non-EEA nationals (known as ‘non-visa nationals') who may be admitted to the UK for periods up to six months without requiring a visa. Further details are available at the web page:
	http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas-immigration/general-info/non-visa-nationals/
	
		
			 Entry clearance visas applied for, issued and refused to Israeli nationals, 2010 to 2012 
			    Of which: 
			  Applications Resolved Issued Refused Withdrawn or lapsed 
			 2010 Total 1,279 1,268 1,071 188 9 
			 Of which:      
			 Visitors n/a n/a 62 n/a n/a 
			       
			 2011 Total 996 1,021 847 167 7 
			 Of which:      
			 Visitors n/a n/a 74 n/a n/a 
			       
			 2012 Total 1,120 1,133 950 172 11 
			 Of which:      
			 Visitors n/a n/a 69 n/a n/a 
			 n/a = not available. Notes: 1. Figures include dependants. 2. Some decisions may related to applications received in previous years. Source: Immigration Statistics, January to March 2013, Table be.02.q and be.06.q.o 
		
	
	The latest Home Office immigration statistics on entry clearance visas are published in the release Immigration Statistics January to March 2013, which is available from the Library of the House and on the Department's website at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/home-office/series/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release

Entry Clearances: Sports Competitors

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Tier 5 visas have been issued by category of sport in each of the last three years.

Mark Harper: There were 7,757, 8,018 and 8,772 visas issued under the Creative and Sporting category of Tier 5 of the Points Based System in 2010, 2011 and 2012 respectively. Corresponding information relating to different categories of sport is not collated centrally.
	The latest Home Office immigration statistics on entry clearance visas issued are published in the release Immigration Statistics October-December 2012, which is available from the Library of the House and on the Department's website at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-october-to-december-2012

Europol and Eurojust

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many times the UK has made requests for co-operation with (a) Europol and (b) Eurojust in each of the last 30 years.

Mark Harper: The number of requests made in the years for which figures are available is as follows:
	
		
			  Europol Eurojust 
			 2002 (1)— 20 
			 2003 (1)— 35 
			 2004 (1)— 42 
			 2005 (1)— 39 
			 2006 (1)— 37 
			 2007 (1)— 104 
			 2008 (1)— 86 
			 2009 3,105 110 
			 2010 1,623 95 
			 2011 2,213 71 
			 2012 3,238 80 
			 (1) Figures not available

G4S

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps the Government asked G4S to take to ensure that it was equipped to carry out its duty to provide appropriate accommodation for asylum seekers prior to the signing of its contract.

Mark Harper: In July 2009, the UK Border Agency announced the launch of the Commercial and Operational Managers Procuring Asylum Support Services (COMPASS) project to procure accommodation, transport and related services for asylum applicants.
	In 2012, G4S was awarded COMPASS contracts in the North East, Yorkshire and Humber region and the Midlands and East of England region. The COMPASS procurement project was conducted in line with EU procurement regulations. Following extensive market engagement, options analysis and appraisal a range of potential suppliers were identified as being capable of delivering the services against a range of criteria including financial strength, experience in delivering services to Government, quality, cost, risks and benefits. The potential suppliers were invited to submit proposals.
	The proposals were extensively evaluated by a team of operational, financial and commercial experts who were aware of the statutory obligations of the Home Office and the complexities of providing these services.
	The evaluation and subsequent due diligence testing of the proposals confirmed G4S to be a fit and proper organisation with the capacity and expertise to deliver integrated accommodation, transport and related services to asylum applicants.

Housing: Asylum

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what arrangements have been put in place to ensure that women housed in properties provided by G4S under its COMPASS contract meet the decent homes standards.

Mark Harper: Commercial and operational managers procuring asylum support services (COMPASS) contract providers are required to provide safe, habitable, fit for purpose and correctly equipped accommodation to comply with relevant mandatory and statutory requirements in relation to housing and this includes the Housing Act 2004. The contract contains specific requirements in relation to safe accommodation and relates the performance standard to the Housing Act.
	There will be instances when a service user has specific needs, for example pregnant women, that impact on the type of accommodation required. Details of any service user's specific needs will be made known to the providers at the time of dispersal to ensure that providers offer suitable properties.

Human Trafficking

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much EU funding has been claimed by UK police authorities for the purpose of combating human trafficking in the last 10 years.

Mark Harper: This information is not held centrally.

Human Trafficking

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were found to be victims of human trafficking in each local authority area in the UK in each of the last 30 years.

Mark Harper: Data on the local authority in which victims of human trafficking have been found are not routinely recorded at present.
	As set out in the Inter-Departmental Ministerial Group's report on human trafficking, published on 18 October 2012, the Government are focusing on improving our collection of data on human trafficking victims to strengthen the UK's response to this crime.

Human Trafficking

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures her Department has in place to collect and collate data on human trafficking from (a) within the UK, (b) within Europe and (c) outside Europe.

Mark Harper: A number of data mechanisms exist including the National Referral Mechanism, the UK Human Trafficking Centre annual baseline assessment, criminal intelligence records and contributions to and from Europol.

Human Trafficking

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many children who have been rescued from human trafficking in the UK have been re-trafficked into the UK at a later date.

Mark Harper: In the period 1 April 2009 to 16 May 2013 there are two confirmed cases where potential victims of child trafficking have been referred to the National Referral Mechanism and subsequently referred again after a further exploitation.

Human Trafficking

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were (a) arrested, (b) prosecuted and (c) imprisoned for crimes of human trafficking in each of the last 30 years.

Mark Harper: Arrest data are not held centrally.
	The number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates court, found guilty and sentenced at all courts, with sentence breakdown, for human trafficking offences, in England and Wales, from 2004 to 2011 (latest available), can be viewed in the table.
	The figures in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.
	
		
			 Defendants proceeded .against at magistrates court, found guilty and sentenced at all courts, with sentence breakdown, for human trafficking offences, England and Wales, 2004-11(1,2) 
			 Offence and outcome 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008(3) 2009 2010 2011 
			 Trafficking into, within and out of the UK for sexual exploitation(4)         
			 Proceeded against 5 26 40 25 53 33 24 9 
			 Found guilty 0 12 15 15 24 23 10 8 
			 Sentenced 0 12 15 15 24 23 10 8 
			 Of which:         
			 Suspended sentence 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 
			 Immediate custody 0 12 15 14 23 21 10 8 
			 Otherwise dealt with 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 
			          
			 Trafficking people into, within and out of the UK for the purpose of exploitation(5)         
			 Proceeded against 0 1 3 2 8 14 6 7 
			 Found guilty 0 0 6 8 0 2 6 0 
			 Sentenced 0 2 6 8 0 2 6 0 
		
	
	
		
			 Of which:         
			 Community sentence 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Suspended sentence 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 
			 Immediate custody 0 2 5 8 0 2 5 0 
			 (1) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) Excludes data for Cardiff magistrates court for April, July and August 2008. (4) Includes offences under SS.57-59 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003, which came into force on 1 May 2004. (5) Includes offences under S.4 Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants) Act 2004, which came into force on 1 December 2004. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services—Ministry of Justice

Human Trafficking

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the quality and quantity of reporting of data from non-governmental organisations to the police for the purpose of combating human trafficking.

Mark Harper: Non-governmental organisations have an important role to play in tackling human trafficking. At a police force level, their information is assessed using nationally adopted intelligence assessment criteria. At a national level, a number of organisations provide information to the UK Human Trafficking Centre, where it is used to identify and assess trafficking trends in the UK.

Human Trafficking

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the key achievements of the inter-ministerial team on human trafficking have been to date.

Mark Harper: The inter-departmental ministerial group on human trafficking and modern slavery oversees, co-ordinates and drives anti-trafficking efforts in the UK. Its first report, published on 18 October 2012, set out the UK's key anti-trafficking achievements to date. The report can be found at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/human-trafficking-inter-departmental-ministerial-group-report-2012

Human Trafficking

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many human trafficking units there are in the UK.

Mark Harper: The UK Human Trafficking Centre, based in the Serious Organised Crime Agency, is a central repository for human trafficking intelligence and provides tactical advice to police forces undertaking human trafficking operations across the UK. It works closely with the human trafficking policy team in the Home Office. The Metropolitan Police's specialist trafficking unit (SC&09) is the operational lead for human trafficking offences in London and provides operational advice to other forces in England and Wales.
	Responsibility for justice matters in Northern Ireland is devolved to the Northern Ireland Department of Justice, which has established a policy unit to respond to matters relating to human trafficking. The Police Service of Northern Ireland's Organised Crime Branch provides the police operational lead on matters relating to human trafficking.
	In Scotland justice matters are devolved to the Scottish Government, who have established a National Human Trafficking Unit to co-ordinate Police Scotland's response to human trafficking. The Unit oversees and drives forward operational activities.

Human Trafficking

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of operation (a) Pentameter 1 and (b) Pentameter 2 in combating human trafficking; and what replacements she has put in place since their termination.

Mark Harper: The Pentameter operations were police-led enforcement campaigns aimed at combating human trafficking for sexual exploitation. They resulted in a significant number of victims being recovered and traffickers prosecuted. An assessment of the operations produced by the House Library can be found at:
	www.parliament.uk/briefing-papers/sn04324.pdf
	The lessons learnt from the Pentameter operations have enabled trafficking to be addressed as part of core police business.

Human Trafficking

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers work on human trafficking matters in each police force in the UK.

Mark Harper: Human trafficking offences are dealt with as part of core police business.
	Each police force in England and Wales has an identified single point of contact to better co-ordinate anti-trafficking activity, intelligence and investigations.
	Responsibility for justice matters in Northern Ireland is devolved to the Northern Ireland Department of Justice. The Police Service of Northern Ireland has also established a single point of contact on anti-trafficking issues.
	Responsibility for justice matters in Scotland is devolved to the Scottish Government. Within Police Scotland, local policing divisions have an identified point of contact and deputy to liaise with the National Human Trafficking Unit which co-ordinates and provides consistency in tackling human trafficking.

Human Trafficking

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which non-governmental organisations and other organisations have met the inter-ministerial agency on human trafficking in each year since the agency's existence.

Mark Harper: The Government works with national and international partners in the fight against human trafficking. Home Office Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of partners, organisations and individuals in the public and private sectors, as part of the process of policy development and delivery. Details of these meetings are published on the Cabinet Office website on a quarterly basis.

Human Trafficking

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of co-operation between the UK and Ireland on the issue of human trafficking; and if she will make a statement.

Mark Harper: The UK and the Republic of Ireland are undertaking a joint programme of work to strengthen the external Common Travel Area (CTA) border by increasing data sharing and looking at closer alignment of visa regimes and electronic border systems. This work, alongside joint UK and Republic of Ireland intelligence-led operations, is helping to mitigate the threat from organised immigration crime, including trafficking.

Human Trafficking

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Lichfield of 13 May 2013, Official Report, column 10W, on human trafficking: Lichfield, how many people subjected to human trafficking were found in each county in England and Wales in (a) 2011, (b) 2012 and (c) 2013 to date; and if she will make a statement. [R]

Mark Harper: Data on where potential human trafficking victims are found, or state in which they have been exploited, are not collected routinely by county. The following table provides data on the number of potential victims identified by the region in which they were located and referred into the National Referral Mechanism, between 1 January 2011 and 31 March 2013.
	The National Referral Mechanism records live case information. The following data provide a ‘snapshot' in time and are subject to change.
	
		
			 ACPO region/country of presentation 1 January 2011 to 31 December 2011 1 January 2012 to 31 December 2012 1 January 2013 to 31 March 2013 
			 Not Recorded 78 177 81 
			 East Midlands 17 17 17 
			 Eastern 67 60 28 
			 Isle of Man Constabulary 0 1 0 
			 London 258 286 115 
			 North East 132 123 31 
			 North West 81 78 31 
			 Northern Ireland 32 12 4 
			 Scotland 93 86 21 
			 South East 86 194 25 
			 South West 28 32 9 
			 Wales 24 26 4 
			 West Midlands 50 94 43 
			 Grand total 946 1,186 409 
		
	
	Officials continue to work with the UK Human Trafficking Centre to establish how data can be routinely collected, recorded and broken down by region/county/local authority to better inform anti-trafficking activities.

Human Trafficking

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the co-operation of (a) budget airlines and (b) other airlines in helping to combat human trafficking across (i) the European Union and (ii) the rest of Europe.

Mark Harper: The Home Office Risk and Liaison Overseas Network (RALON) works closely with all airlines and their handling agents to reduce the threat of passengers boarding UK-bound flights with false documentation. Their co-operation supports compliance with section 40 of the Immigration Act 1999 which relates to carriers' liability. RALON officers provide training to carriers on routes that are commonly used by traffickers to enable them to identify potential traffickers and their victims; no differentiation is made between low-cost airlines or otherwise.
	The e-Borders programme is further enabling us to collect and analyse information from carriers about passengers intending to travel to or from the UK. This record of passenger movements informs us in advance who plans to cross our border so that we can check travellers against lists of people known to pose a threat such as traffickers.
	Also the Home Office collaborates with SOCA and EU law enforcement partnerships overseas in identifying and combating organised crime groups that attempt to traffic individuals into the UK via EU and EEA borders.

Human Trafficking

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much funding her Department has allocated to support for (a) men and (b) women subject to human trafficking in each of the last 10 years.

Mark Harper: Funding to support victims of human trafficking is provided jointly by the Home Office and the Ministry of Justice. Funding is not disaggregated based on gender.
	The following table provides details of funding broken down by year from the point at which it is possible to do so:
	
		
			  Support for victims of trafficking(1) (£ million) 
			 2005-06 0.620 
			 2006-07 1.2 
			 2007-08 1.2 
			 2008-09 1.3 
			 2009-10 1.95 
			 2010-11 2 
			 2011-12 2 
			 2012-13 3 
			 (1) Joint funding from Ministry of Justice and Home Office

Human Trafficking

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people trafficked into the UK were identified as such by (a) police forces, (b) social services, (c) immigration officials and (d) other means in each of the last five years.

Mark Harper: The National Referral Mechanism (NRM), established in 2009 and managed by the UK Human Trafficking Centre, collects data on potential victims of trafficking.
	The latest NRM statistics are published on a quarterly basis on the Serious Organised Crime Agency website:
	http://www.soca.gov.uk/about-soca/about-the-ukhtc/national-referral-mechanism/statistics
	I will place a copy of this report in the Library of the House.
	Since July 2011 this has included a breakdown of the organisations making the referral. A breakdown of referring organisations is not available prior to July 2011.

Human Trafficking

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the recommendations of the report It Happens Here, published by the Centre for Social Justice in March 2013, if she will take steps to (a) establish an anti-slavery commissioner and (b) bring forward a modern slavery bill.

Mark Harper: The Government are considering the recommendations in the Centre for Social Justice report and will respond through the next Inter-Departmental Ministerial Group report.

ICT

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) computers, (b) mobile telephones, (c) BlackBerrys and (d) other pieces of IT equipment were lost or stolen from her Department in (i) 2010-11, (ii) 2011-12 and (iii) 2012-13; and if she will make a statement.

James Brokenshire: The Secretary of State for the Home Department can confirm that information relating to lost and stolen laptops, mobiles and removable media can be found on the following link to the Home Office webpage on the gov.uk website:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/lost-stolen-and-recovered-mobiles-laptops-and-removable-media
	We have provided the information in the following table.
	Information is recorded and published under calendar year and not financial year. Information on items lost and stolen for 2013 will be published in early 2014.
	
		
			 Device/Incident table taken from the gov.uk website 
			 Number 
			 Device/incident 2010 2011 2012 
			 Lost BlackBerrys/mobile phones 26 30 46 
			 Stolen BlackBerrys/mobile phones 10 12 13 
			 Lost laptops 20 1 3 
			 Stolen laptops 5 4 7 
			 Lost removable media 1 1 0 
			 Stolen removable media 0 1 0 
			 Recovered BlackBerrys/mobiles 1 3 1 
			 Recovered laptops 2 1 0

Illegal Immigrants: Employment

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many illegal workers were identified as a result of the Right to Work check education sessions for human resources and recruitment staff in the lead up to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Mark Harper: Education presentations were conducted throughout the construction of the Olympic Park and Athletes' Village, and later to support companies and organisations with a Games Time role. These organisations included private companies, the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) and public sector organisations. The presentations were designed to provide an enhanced awareness of employers' responsibilities to prevent illegal working, and of forgery detection. The presentations were attended by HR and recruitment personnel and those engaged in other relevant roles such as accreditation or law enforcement.
	These sessions were designed to highlight awareness and increase knowledge of the above areas. However, no central records were kept of the number of illegal workers subsequently identified by the almost 3,000 people who attended these presentations.

Illegal Immigrants: Employment

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost was of the Right to Work check education sessions for human resources and recruitment staff in the lead up to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Mark Harper: This information is not kept centrally and to obtain this information would mean looking at individual records, which would incur disproportionate cost.

Immigration

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many slots are available each day at the public enquiry office at Lunar House for indefinite leave to remain applications through UK visas and immigration.

Mark Harper: holding answer 20 May 2013
	Appointments at Lunar House public enquiry office are released for booking on a first come, first served basis irrespective of application type. As the booking system makes no distinction between application routes for reporting purposes, this information is not available.

Immigration

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions her Department has had on the likely number of Romanian and Bulgarian nationals who might migrate to the UK over the next three years; and what assessment she has made of the potential effects on her Department.

Mark Harper: The Home Office regularly monitors and analyses overall migration data to help inform policy decisions. However, we have not prepared forecasts of likely inflows from Romania and Bulgaria once restrictions are lifted. The Government accept the view of the independent Migration Advisory Committee that to produce such estimates “would not be sensible, or helpful to policymakers”.
	Rather than produce speculative forecasts, the Government's priority is to cut out abuse of free movement and address pull factors such as access to benefits and public services. The Home Office is working closely with other Government Departments on these issues.

Immigration

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the longest recorded delay in providing an applicant with their travel documents once a decision has been taken on granting their right to indefinite leave to remain has been to date.

Mark Harper: Persons granted indefinite leave to remain (ILR) are not automatically issued with travel documents when ILR is granted. All travel documents have to be applied for separately using application form TD112 (BRP). Where the applicant is a refugee or stateless person the application will be considered in accordance with our obligations under the 1951 and 1954 UN conventions—respectively refugees and stateless persons. Where the person has humanitarian protection or discretionary leave to remain following refusal of asylum or ILR and has been formally and unreasonably refused a passport by their national authorities, we may issue certificates of travel (COT) in line with the guidance published on our website.
	There are 26 cases that have been identified as being outstanding from before 2011. These are broken down by reason:
	Security reasons: one
	Applicant on remand: one
	Applicant wanted by the police: one
	Status under review following criminal conviction: eight
	Ongoing investigations into possible criminal activity: five
	Applicant suspected of being an impostor/ status obtained by deception: seven
	Ongoing deportation case: three.

Immigration

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she is taking to reduce the time taken to provide applicants with their travel documents once a decision has been taken to grant them indefinite leave to remain.

Mark Harper: Persons granted indefinite leave to remain (ILR) are not automatically issued with travel documents when ILR is granted. All travel documents have to be applied for separately using application form TD112 (BRP). It is possible that a person granted ILR may decide to wait years before applying for a travel document.
	Where the applicant is a refugee or stateless person the application will be considered in accordance with our obligations under the 1951 and 1954 UN Conventions respectively—refugees and stateless persons. Where the person has humanitarian protection or discretionary leave to remain following refusal of asylum or ILR and has been formally and unreasonably refused a passport by their national authorities, we may issue certificates of travel (COT) in line with the guidance published on our website.
	We are aware that there are delays in the processing of travel document applications and are exploring ways of improving the process. We are looking at introducing aspects of I-Apply to screen out non-compliant applications, and outsource document production by sharing IT processes with HM Passport Office. In the interim we are looking to increase staff levels.

Immigration

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reasons it is not possible to make a simultaneous application to the UK Border Force for indefinite leave to remain and travel documents.

Mark Harper: Travel documents are issued by the Home Office to facilitate travel by those wishing to travel who are unable to obtain a national passport.
	Applications for indefinite leave to remain (ILR) and travel documents are completely separate. A person applying for ILR must show that they qualify under the appropriate immigration rules under which the application is being made, and pay the fee agreed by Parliament and published in the Fees Regulations. Depending on what type of travel document is being sought a travel document applicant will need to show that they qualify under the 1951 UN Convention on the status of Refugees, the 1954 UN Convention on Stateless Persons, or under the published guidance on certificates of travel (COT). Certificates of Travel are issued at the discretion of the Secretary of State.
	The fee for documents issued under the 1951 or 1954 Conventions is tied by the Conventions to that for a national passport. The fee for a COT is agreed by Parliament in the Fees Regulations.
	Since February 2012 all travel document applicants have been required to have or to simultaneously apply for a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) which confirms their current immigration status. Where the applicant has previously been granted ILR and they do not have a valid BRP they have been able, and in fact are required, to make a simultaneous application for a BRP to confirm that there is no time limit on their stay.

Immigration Controls

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many visits UK Border Agency staff made to sponsors in each of the last 24 months.

Mark Harper: holding answer 21 May 2013
	The number of visits the former UK Border Agency staff made to sponsors in each of the 24 months between April 2011 and March 2013 is as follows:
	
		
			  Visits 
			 2011  
			 April 406 
			 May 511 
			 June 526 
			 July 630 
			 August 759 
			 September 655 
			 October 697 
			 November 857 
			 December 479 
			   
			 2012  
			 January 807 
			 February 840 
			 March 781 
			 April 806 
			 May 771 
			 June 625 
			 July 906 
			 August 621 
			 September 841 
			 October 904 
			 November 838 
			 December 617 
			   
			 2013  
			 January 852 
			 February 817 
			 March 748 
			 Notes: 1. All figures quoted have been derived from local management information and are therefore provisional and subject to change. This information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols. 2. Data relate to visits conducted, so multiple visits may have been made to the same sponsor.

Immigration: Children

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many children have arrived unaccompanied on flights, without family or accommodation in the UK, in 2010, 2011 and 2012, by country of origin.

Mark Harper: We do not hold data on the number of unaccompanied children arriving on flights in the United Kingdom in 2010, 2011 and 2012.

Immigration: Children

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with which countries outside the EU the UK has bilateral agreements on returning unaccompanied children.

Mark Harper: The United Kingdom does not currently have any bilateral agreements specifically relating to returning unaccompanied children to countries outside of the European Union. Unaccompanied children are returned under general returns arrangements, but only where safe and adequate reception arrangements are in place in the country to which the child is to be returned.

Immigration: Children

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many unaccompanied children have arrived on UK flights and been returned to their country of origin in 2010, 2011 and 2012.

Mark Harper: We do not hold data on the number of unaccompanied children arriving on flights in the United Kingdom in 2010, 2011 and 2012. We do know the number of non-British citizen children who were subject to further examination at airports, however determining how many were unescorted and were subsequently returned to their country of origin could be done only at a disproportionate cost.

Immigration: Children

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many unaccompanied children have applied for temporary leave to remain in the UK in 2010, 2011 and 2012, broken down by country of origin.

Mark Harper: Information on how many unaccompanied children have applied for temporary leave to remain in the UK is only held at the level of coordinated paper case files or within the notes section of the Home Office Case Information Database (CiD). Such data are not aggregated in national reporting systems, which would mean this question could only be answered through a disproportionately expensive manual case search to collate the data.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she intends to reply to the letter to her dated 25 March 2013 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Rachel Broady.

Mark Harper: I wrote to the right hon. Member on 22 May 2013.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she intends to reply to the letter to the Minister for Immigration dated 15 April 2013 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr M Rashid.

Mark Harper: I wrote to the right hon. Member on 22 May 2013.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she intends to reply to the letter to her dated 15 April 2013 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr M Zaheer.

Mark Harper: I wrote to the right hon. Member on 22 May 2013.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she intends to reply to the letter to the Minister for Immigration dated 15 April 2013 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Ms B Kavr.

Mark Harper: I wrote to the right hon. Member on 23 May 2013.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she intends to reply to the letter to the Minister for Immigration dated 15 April 2013 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr M Rizwan.

Mark Harper: I wrote to the right hon. Member on 23 May 2013.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she intends to reply to the letter to her dated 15 April 2013 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr N Akbar.

Mark Harper: I wrote to the right hon. Member on 29 May 2013 about this case.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she intends to reply to the letter to her dated 16 April from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Miss S. Akter.

Mark Harper: I wrote to the right hon. Member on 23 May 2013.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she intends to reply to the letter to her dated 16 April from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mrs Pearl Woolley.

Mark Harper: I wrote to the right hon. Member on 22 May 2013.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she intends to reply to the letter to the Minister for Immigration dated 16 April from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr Shahzad Nadeem.

Mark Harper: I wrote to the right hon. Member on 23 May 2013.

Passports

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of the population (a) in total and (b) who are (i) English, (ii) Welsh, (iii) Scottish and (iv) Northern Irish own a passport; and what assessment she has made of the reasons for differences in the ownership of passports between the constituent parts of the UK.

Mark Harper: The issuing of passports is a matter for Her Majesty's Passport Office on behalf of the Secretary of State for the Home Department. The location of a person's birth within the United Kingdom is not relevant to the passport application. The issuing of a British passport relies on the person's ability to show their entitlement to British citizenship and to confirm their identity. Her Majesty's Passport Office does not routinely hold data on the address of the applicant at the time of their application as an address does not reflect the country of birth or nationality. However, data acquired for 2011-12 show that the proportion of the UK population who own a UK passport is estimated at 80%. The proportion of the population who made an application from an address in (i) England was 84.93%; (ii) Wales was 4.56%; (iii) Scotland was 8.44%; and Northern Ireland was 2.06%. This analysis is caveated as being a very high-level assessment.

Passports

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  if she will place in the Library a copy of the outcome and recommendations of the review undertaken by the Identity and Passport Service into the use of gender markings in the British passport;
	(2)  which external stakeholders have been consulted by the Identity and Passport Service into the use of gender markings in the British passport.

Mark Harper: The then Identity and Passport Service (now Her Majesty’s Passport Office) undertook an internal review into the use of gender markings in the British passport. The review primarily consisted of consideration of existing available material, together with liaison with a number of domestic and international stakeholders. As the nature of the contact with those stakeholders did not indicate any intention to publish their views, I will seek agreement from those stakeholders for their views to be published and, upon receipt of this consent, will place a copy of the full review in the Library of the House.
	I have, however, today placed a copy of the letter sent to the right hon. Member on 9 April 2013 that sets out the findings of the review and the agreed course of action to retain the existing use of ‘M’ and ‘F’ markings only in the passport. This letter has been redacted to remove personal information.

Passports: Fees and Charges

David Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the statement issued by the Minister for Immigration on 13 May 2013, on the Identity and Passport Service, what plans she has to reduce the price of passports to UK citizens in light of the removal of any function relating to a viable identity register; and if she will make a statement.

Mark Harper: The passport fee did not fund the national identity scheme, so the scrapping of this scheme and the previous Administration's plans for compulsory ID cards had no impact on the cost of issuing a passport.
	Indeed, the cost of a standard passport was reduced by £5 in September 2012 following a restructuring programme within the Identity and Passport Service (now Her Majesty's Passport Office), which delivered savings to the taxpayer of £40 million in the previous financial year. This is in stark contrast to the record of the last Government, under whom the cost of a standard passport rose nearly fourfold (from £21 in March 1998 to £77.50 in September 2009).

Passports: Hong Kong

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many Hong Kong Chinese servicemen have been refused UK passports since 1997;
	(2)  how many Hong Kong Chinese servicemen have applied for UK passports since 1997;
	(3)  what guidance her Department has given on the (a) issuing and (b) reasons for refusal of UK passports to Hong Kong Chinese (i) naval and (ii) army personnel since the handover of the former Hong Kong Territory in 1997;
	(4)  for what reasons only 500 soldiers of the Hong Kong Military Service Corps have been issued with a UK passport to date; and if she will issue every serving and retired soldier of that Corps with a UK passport.

Mark Harper: Her Majesty's Passport Office does not hold records in the format requested. The issuing of a British passport requires the applicant to satisfy HM Passport Office of their identity and their entitlement to British nationality.
	Under the British Nationality Selection Scheme introduced in 1990, Hong Kong Military Service Corps (HKMSC) personnel settled in Hong Kong could apply to register as a British citizen. The scheme ended on 31 December 1996. The decision to make an application under the scheme was a matter for the individual and therefore the number of successful applications under the scheme was based on the applications received. There are no plans to introduce new or additional measures to allow former HKMSC personnel to acquire citizenship.
	It is open to persons to register as a British citizen under nationality legislation. Detailed information and advice can be found at:
	https://www.gov.uk/becoming-a-british-citizen

Passports: Lost Property

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many complaints there have been to her Department that passports and official documents have been lost while in the care of a Government Department in each of the last five years.

Mark Harper: There is no centrally-held data about the number of complaints received about passports and official documents lost while in the care of a Government Department. However, I am able to provide information obtained from Her Majesty's Passport Office and the former UKBA respectively.
	The information in the table is taken from the Passport Application Complaints System (PACS) and relates to the number of complaints received by Her Majesty's Passport Office about the UK Passport services we provide.
	Specifically, the table shows the number of complaints received from customers who claim their supporting documents have been lost by Her Majesty's Passport Office during the years 2008-09 to 2012-13.
	The term ‘supporting documents' may relate to Birth and Marriage Certificates, UK and Foreign Passports or any other documentation submitted in support of an application, for nationality or identity purposes.
	The organisation formerly known as UKBA has recorded 1,218 complaints relating to lost passports and official documents on its complaints management system (CMS) since 1 January 2011. 564 in 2011, 468 in 2012 and 186 in 2013 to date. We do not hold data prior to this. These data exclude complaints made by detainees in immigration detention and those made overseas where data are not readily available
	
		
			 Total complaints received 
			  Number 
			 2008-09 131 
			 2009-10 97 
			 2010-11 94 
			 2011-12 73 
			 2012-13 67

Pay

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will publish the salary bands of any staff who (a) are employed in and (b) otherwise contribute to the work of the Relationships and Communications Team of the Communications Capabilities Development Programme; what the total salary cost of all staff employed in this team is; and how many people the team employs.

James Brokenshire: holding answer 14 May 2013
	: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 25 April 2013, Official Report, column 1349W.

Police and Crime Commissioners

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her policy is on youth police and crime commissioners; and what steps her Department is taking to encourage police and crime commissioners to engage more effectively with young people.

Damian Green: It is for the Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) to make decisions about appointing staff, including youth police and crime commissioners, and ensure that any appointees carry out their duties effectively. PCCs are responsible for deciding their local policing priorities, including the engagement of young people. They also have a duty under the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 to consult their local community. It is ultimately for their local electorate to hold them to account at the ballot box.

Police ICT Company

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans she has to make the Police ICT company subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Damian Green: The Police ICT company as it is currently constructed is not subject to the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
	The Act applies to “public authorities”, which includes “publicly-owned companies” as defined in section 6. The Police ICT company does not fall within the relevant definition because it is not wholly owned either by the Crown, or any other body which is subject to the Act.

Public Appointments

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department who the members of the (a) Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, (b) Animal Procedures Committee, (c) Independent Police Complaints Commission, (d) Independent Safeguarding Authority, (e) Investigatory Powers Tribunal, (f) National DNA Database Ethics Group, (g) National Policing Improvement Agency and (h) Office of Surveillance Commissioners were on 1 January 2013; and what the (i) ethnicity, (ii) term of office and (iii) remuneration is of each such member.

James Brokenshire: holding answer 20 May 2013
	: Members of these bodies, along with information about their remuneration and term of office, are set out in a table placed in the House Library. The Commissioner for Public Appointments collates and publishes information on the number of appointments of candidates from ethnic minority backgrounds; however this information is not broken down by public body or ethnicity. The Commissioner's annual reports are at:
	http://publicappointmentscommissioner.independent.gov.uk
	copies of which are also available in the Library of the House.

Registration of Births, Deaths, Marriages and Civil Partnerships

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what the policy of the General Register Office is on the copying of certificates of birth, marriage, civil partnership or death;
	(2)  what contact the Identity and Passport Office has had with Post Office Ltd concerning the Document Certification Service; and if she will publish any such correspondence.

Mark Harper: The policy of the General Register Office is that when evidence is required of a birth, marriage, civil partnership or death, an official certified copy—issued either by the General Register Office or by the local register office for the district where the event took place—should be used.
	Her Majesty’s Passport Office, formerly the Identity and Passport Service, has only received representations from the Notaries Society concerning Post Office Ltd’s Document Certification Service in the last three years.
	There have been a number of business liaison meetings between Her Majesty’s Passport Office and Post Office Ltd, where the Document Certification Service has been one of the topics discussed. There has been no specific written correspondence relating to this topic.

Regulation

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the title was of each set of regulations introduced by her Department in each month since May 2010; and which of those regulations have been (a) subject to the (i) one-in, one-out and (ii) one-in, two-out procedure and (b) (i) revoked and (ii) amended.

James Brokenshire: The one-in, one-out rule was introduced on 1 September 2010 and applied to regulations introduced from 1 January 2011. The one-in, two-out rule replaced the one-in, one-out rule and has applied to regulations introduced since 1 January 2013. This answer therefore covers the period from 1 January 2011 to date.
	The following table sets out the regulations introduced by the Department, with the date of introduction. All of these regulations are subject to the one-in, one-out procedure. None has been revoked or amended. No regulations have been made that are subject to the one-in, two-out procedure.
	
		
			 Home Office measures in scope for one-in, one-out 
			 Title of the measure Date the measure came into force 
			 Specification for imitation firearms August 2011 
			 Firearms (electronic communications) order 2010 April 2011 
			 Reform of the student immigration system (Tier 4) April 2011 
			 Migration Permanent Limit (Points Based System Tier 1 and Tier 2) April 2011 
			 Alcohol Licensing Measures April 2012 
			 Changes to Tier 5 of the Points Based System for immigration and overseas domestic workers April 2012 
			 Migration fees changes April 2012 
			 Changes to Code of Practice (Alcohol) April 2012 
			 Implementation of reforms to the vetting and barring scheme October 2012 
			 Reform of Vehicle Immobilisation October 2012 
			 Early Morning Alcohol Restriction Orders October 2012 
			 Amendments to Schedule 5 of the Anti Terrorism, Crime and Security Act (2001) October 2012 
			 Tackling Metal Theft—prohibit cash payments and higher fines October 2012 
			 Family Migration Route October 2012 
			 Implementation of Authority-to-Carry Scheme under Section 124 of Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 October 2012

Regulation

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will provide the estimated cost of each regulation introduced by her Department since May 2010; and what the estimated benefits of each regulation (a) amended and (b) revoked were.

James Brokenshire: Full impact assessments of all new regulations impacting business can be found on the Home Office website. The following table summarises the regulations introduced since January 2011.
	
		
			 Home Office measures in scope for one-in, one-out 
			 Title of the measure Purpose of the measure In, out, net zero cost Date the measure came into force Equivalent annual net cost to business (£ million, 2009) 
			 Specification for new firearms To require imitation firearms to conform to specifications Zero net cost August 2011 0.00 
			 Firearms (electronic communications) order 2010 To permit notifications of firearms transactions to be sent via approved methods of electronic communication Out April 2011 -0.83 
		
	
	
		
			 Reform of the student immigration system (Tier 4) To ensure students from outside the EU come for a limited period, to study and make a positive contribution while here. This measure is designed to eliminate abuse of the system In April 2011 25.50 
			 Introducing an annual limit on the number of non-EU economic migrants admitted into the UK to live and work (Tiers 1, 2) To apply a limit to Tier 1 and Tier 2 categories and amend the criteria for entry. This will contribute to a policy of reducing net migration significantly. The Government is committed to this policy on the basis that greater selectivity of migrants could reduce the pressure on public services, incentivise the up-skilling of native workers, and increase public confidence in the immigration system In April 2011 22.00 
			 Alcohol Licensing Measures Measures to rebalance the alcohol licensing regime to enable local ‘Licensing Authorities’ (LAs) and the police to clamp down on alcohol-related crime and disorder In April 2012 17.00 
			 Changes to Tier 5 of the Points Based System for immigration and overseas domestic workers To assist genuine migrant workers who need to be in the UK for relatively short periods of time, while providing appropriate protection against abuse and exploitation Zero net cost April 2012 0.00 
			 Migration fees changes To ensure that there are sufficient resources to secure the UK Border and reduce migration. Zero net cost April 2012 0.00 
			 Changes to Code of Practice (Alcohol) Changes to Code of Practice (Alcohol) In April 2012 0.80 
			 Implementation of reforms to the vetting and barring scheme Implementation of reforms to the vetting and barring scheme Out October 2012 -9.10 
			 Reform of Vehicle Immobilisation Ban vehicle immobilisation and towing without lawful authority, and extend police powers to remove cars from private land In October 2012 24.60 
			 Early Morning Restriction Orders To enable local authorities to clamp down on pockets of late night alcohol-related problems by banning alcohol sales at any time between midnight and 6 am In October 2012 10.10 
			 Pathogens and Toxins Make changes to list of substance classed as pathogen or toxin Out October 2012 -0.05 
			 Tackling Metal Theft—prohibit cash payments and higher fines Prohibition of cash-based payments for scrap metal In October 2012 5.80 
			 Family Migration Route Changes to migration through the Family route In October 2012 0.02 
			 Authority to Carry A counter-terrorism measure. The regulations require a carrier to pay penalty if the carrier brings specific individuals to the UK with no authority to do so In October 2012 1.20

Security Industry Authority

Andrew Bridgen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether her Department has any plans to review the functionality and effectiveness of the Security Industry Authority.

James Brokenshire: The Security Industry Authority (SIA) was included within the scope of the Public Bodies Review in 2010 which concluded that the SIA should be replaced by a successor body outside of the public sector as part of wider reforms to the regulatory regime for the private security industry. The Home Office launched a public consultation on the detail of these reforms in November 2012, and we are currently analysing the responses received.

Sign Language

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what assessment she has made of the equality of access available for deaf people whose first language is British Sign Language in communicating with (a) the police, (b) passport officials and (c) the agencies and public bodies which support her Department; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what measures her Department has in place to ensure that deaf people have the opportunity to communicate in British Sign Language with (a) the police, (b) passport offices and (c) the agencies and non-departmental public bodies for which she is responsible.

James Brokenshire: The Home Office, police and non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) are subject to the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) under the Equality Act 2010. For the Home Office and Her Majesty's Passport Office (HMPO) we have achieved the “Louder than Words” accreditation which required the training of staff to communicate with customers and to provide communication support whenever requested which would include British Sign Language interpreters.

UK Border Agency

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the answer of 25 April 2013, Official Report, columns 1365-6W, on UK Border Agency, on which dates the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration was formally (a) consulted about and (b) given final confirmation of the abolition of the UK Border Agency and the return of its functions to her Department.

Mark Harper: holding answer 14 May 2013
	: I refer the hon. Member to my response of 25 April 2013, Official Report, column 1365W. It is not the practice of this Government to provide any further detail, as was the case with previous Administrations.

UK Border Agency

Pamela Nash: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many UK Border Agency staff in (a) Scotland, (b) England, (c) Wales, (d) Northern Ireland and (e) the UK were (i) on zero hour contracts and (ii) temporary staff in each of the last three years.

Mark Harper: The UK Border Agency has not employed any staff on zero hour contracts in each of the last three years.
	The number of temporary staff employed by the UK Border Agency changes throughout the year to flexibly respond to demand. The number of temporary staff employed for each year is shown as an average in the following table:
	
		
			  Temporary staff(1) 
			 Area Average 10-11(2) Average 11-12 Average 12-13 
			 (a) Scotland 11 * 4 
			 (b) England 283 117 660 
			 (c) Wales 8 4 0 
			 (d) Northern Ireland * 0 0 
			 Location not recorded centrally 5 * 12 
			 (e) The UK 310 127 676 
			 ‘*’ = 3 or less. We do not release workforce numbers of between 1 and 3 to avoid identifying individuals. Totals for this range are shown as 3. (1) Temporary staff is defined as Agency workers and Contractors. Fixed term appointments on permanent terms and conditions are counted as permanent staff. (2) For each of the three years the figures exclude Border Force. This is consistent with the structure of the UK Border Agency at 31 March 2013.

UK Human Trafficking Centre

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much funding her Department has given to the UK Human Trafficking Centre in each year since its inception; and what funding is proposed for the centre in each of the next three years.

Mark Harper: The UK Human Trafficking Centre (UKHTC) began operations in 2006, based in South Yorkshire police. South Yorkshire police received specific funding to support its operation as a specialist national unit as set out in the following table:
	
		
			 Period £ 
			 2006-07 591,000 
			 2007-08 834,084 
			 2008-09 (1)1,712,000 
			 2009-10 1,602,000 
			 (1) The budget in 2008-09 included a contribution to allow for a one-off purchase of a necessary IT system. 
		
	
	In April 2010 the UKHTC transferred into the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA). Since this date it has been funded from SOCA's general budget.
	From October 2013 the UKHTC will form part of, and be funded through, the National Crime Agency general budget.

Vetting

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether police information notices are included in disclosure and barring checks; and if she will make a statement.

Damian Green: Police information notices (PINs), issued where there have been allegations of harassment, are not automatically disclosed as part of an enhanced disclosure and barring service (DBS) certificate. However, chief officers are required to disclose additional information which they reasonably believe to be relevant, and PINs can be included in this additional information.

Violence against Women and Girls Ministerial Group

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the answer of 15 April 2013, Official Report, column 154W, on the Violence Against Women and Girls Ministerial Group, what the (a) Department and (b) ministerial level or Civil Service grade was of each attendee at the last five meetings of the Violence against Women and Girls Inter-Ministerial Group.

Jeremy Browne: Since 2010 the Violence against Women and Girls Inter-Ministerial Group consists of the following Departments. For each Department the ministerial level and civil service grade (where deputy director or above) of those attending is given in the following table.
	
		
			 Table: 156978 
			 Department Minister Civil service grade 
			 Home Office Secretary of State Director level 
			  Minister of State Deputy Director 
			  Parliamentary Under Secretary of State — 
			    
			 Department of Health Parliamentary Under Secretary of State Deputy Director 
			    
			 Ministry of Justice Parliamentary Under Secretary of State — 
			    
			 Department for Education Parliamentary Under Secretary of State Deputy Director 
			    
			 Ministry of Defence Minister of State Deputy Director 
			    
			 Department for Work and Pensions Parliamentary Under Secretary of State — 
			    
			 Attorney General's Office Solicitor General — 
			    
			 Welsh Government Parliamentary Under Secretary of State — 
			    
		
	
	
		
			 Foreign & Commonwealth Office Minister of State Deputy Director 
			    
			 Child Exploitation & Online Protection Centre — Chief Executive of Child Exploitation & Online Protection Centre 
			    
			 Crown Prosecution Service — Director level 
			    
			 Department for Communities and Local Government Parliamentary Under Secretary of State Deputy Director 
			    
			 Department for Culture, Media and Sports Parliamentary Under Secretary of State Deputy Director 
			    
			 Department of Transport Parliamentary Under Secretary of State — 
			    
			 Department for International Development Parliamentary Under Secretary of State — 
			 Government Whip Spokesperson in the House of Lords on International Development and Government Whip and Spokesperson on Health, Justice and Women and Equalities — 
			    
			 Government Whip Spokesperson in the House of Lords on Women & Equalities and Work & Pensions; Government Whip for the Home Office and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. — 
			 Government Whip Spokesperson for Cabinet Office, International Development, Women and Equalities and Business Innovation and Skills. —

Scotland

David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will list the legislation her Department has sponsored which has devolved powers to the Scottish Parliament and powers within such legislation since 1998.

David Mundell: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Scotland Office.
	The Scotland Office is responsible for maintaining and strengthening the devolution settlement; together with lead policy Departments we have delivered a programme of Scotland Act orders that have provided additional powers to the Scottish Parliament, as well as delivering the Scotland Act 2012 that enhanced the devolution settlement and provided the largest transfer of financial responsibility since 1999.
	Further devolution to the Scottish Parliament is principally achieved by way of amendments to schedules 4 and 5 of the Act. Since 1998 the following changes to those schedules have been made. These are presented in summary form.
	Amendments to schedule 4 to the Scotland Act 1998
	Power to modify the Scotland Act 1998 regarding financial assistance for opposition parties in the Scottish Parliament.
	Powers to modify certain provisions of the Scotland Act 1998 requiring any sum to be payable out of the Scottish Consolidated Fund.
	Power to provide that proceedings brought in a court or tribunal against a member of the Scottish Government under the Scotland Act 1998 on human rights grounds have to be brought before the end of a limitation period (since repealed by Scotland Act 2012).
	Amendments to schedule 5 to the Scotland Act 1998
	Political parties
	The making of payments to any political party for the purpose of assisting members of the Parliament to perform their parliamentary duties.
	Referendum
	A power to allow the Scottish Parliament to conduct a referendum on the independence of Scotland from the rest of the United Kingdom, subject to certain conditions.
	Financial and economic matters
	Powers to set a rate of income tax to be paid by Scottish taxpayers, and taxes in relation to land transactions and landfill.
	Home affairs
	The interception of any communication made to or by a person detained at a place of detention.
	The regulation of air weapons.
	Trade and industry
	Powers in relation to business associations which are social landlords, including in relation to winding up proceedings and procedures giving protection from creditors.
	Powers to provide financial assistance for the provision of services (other than postal services and services relating to money or postal orders) to be provided from public post offices.
	Transport
	Powers to impose requirements on Scottish public authorities about the preparation and submission of strategies relating to the provision of rail services.
	Powers to transfer functions of passenger transport executives or passenger transport authorities relating to rail services, and the allocation of such functions among relevant authorities.
	The promotion and construction of railways which start, end and remain in Scotland.
	Power to impose requirements on Scottish public authorities about the preparation and submission of strategies relating to the provision of air services.
	Social security
	Powers to provide occasional financial or other assistance to or in respect of individuals for the purposes of meeting an immediate short-term need, arising out of exceptional services, to avoid risk to the individual’s well-being, or enabling qualifying individuals to establish or maintain a settled home.
	Employment
	Fire safety on construction sites and on certain premises, including those concerned in the manufacture or storage of chemicals, explosives or flammable materials.
	Amendment to part 1 of the Scotland Act 1998
	Elections
	Power to make provision as to the conduct of elections for membership of the Scottish Parliament, and the questioning of such an election and the consequences of irregularities. Made by the Scotland Act 2012 and yet to be brought into force.

JUSTICE

Alcoholic Drinks: Young People

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people have been convicted for buying alcohol on behalf of a minor in the last five years.

Jeremy Wright: The number of offenders found guilty at all courts of buying alcohol on behalf of a minor in England and Wales, from 2007 to 2011 (the latest available) can be viewed in the table.
	Information on court proceedings in 2012 is planned for publication on 30 May 2013.
	
		
			 Offenders found guilty at all courts of buying alcohol on behalf of a minor, England and Wales, 2007-11(1, 2) 
			 Offence description 2007 200(3) 2009 2010 2011 
			 Buying or attempting to buy alcohol on behalf of an individual under 18(4) 13 28 25 19 20 
			 (1) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) Excludes data for Cardiff magistrates court for April, July and August 2008. (4) Offences under Licensing Act 2003 S.149 (3), (4) & (7)(b). Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services - Ministry of Justice.

Community Orders

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what proportion of prisoners are (a) invited to participate in and (b) participate in restorative justice;
	(2)  what proportion of people who accept victims' services are (a) offered and (b) participate in restorative justice programmes.

Jeremy Wright: Information about the numbers of offenders or victims who are invited to participate in a restorative justice programme, or take up that offer, is not collated centrally.
	Restorative Justice (RJ) activity can take a range of different forms, depending on the circumstances of the individual case, and there are a range of referral routes for both offenders and victims at various points of the justice system.
	Referrals and offers of RJ should be responsive to victims' needs and take into account relevant suitability and eligibility criteria, including an assessment of the readiness of participants, and a risk assessment to ensure that there will be no further harm caused by participation in RJ activity. There are consequently a range of reasons why victims and offenders who are offered the opportunity to take part in some form of RJ activity may not subsequently take part.

Driving Offences: Sentencing

Susan Elan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will consider the merits of setting a minimum custodial sentence for offenders convicted of a second or third driving-related offence.

Jeremy Wright: The Government have no plans to create a mandatory minimum sentence for repeat driving offences at the present time. There is nothing preventing the courts from imposing sentences up to the maximum penalty if the offending behaviour is serious enough. This includes custodial sentences of up to 14 years for the most serious offences, including driving while disqualified and driving or attempting to drive under the influence of excess alcohol, as well as dangerous driving and offences where death was caused. The courts take relevant previous offences into account into deciding what sentence to impose.
	We do keep all offences and penalties under review. That is why we created a new offence of causing serious injury by dangerous driving in the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 which carries a five-year maximum prison sentence, and which was commenced on 3 December.

Electronic Tagging

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department has spent on electronic monitoring in each year since 2005.

Jeremy Wright: The figures provided in the following table, which have been drawn from management information systems, show expenditure on contracted-out electronic monitoring services for each financial year. Although great care has been taken in processing the payment records the figures, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
	The increase in expenditure is mainly driven by the increase in offenders monitored by electronic monitoring.
	
		
			 Expenditure on electronic monitoring services, 2005-06 to 2012-13 
			  Total cost (£ million) 
			 2005-06 58.4 
			 2006-07 68.4 
			 2007-08 82.3 
			 2008-09 92.4 
			 2009-10 93.8 
			 2010-11 101.6 
			 2011-12 116.9 
			 2012-13 107.6

Electronic Tagging

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the cost has been of electronic tagging of offenders in each of the last 10 years.

Jeremy Wright: The figures provided in the following table, which have been drawn from management information systems, show expenditure on contracted-out electronic monitoring services for each financial year. Although great care has been taken in processing the payment records the figures, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
	The increase in expenditure is mainly driven by the increase in offenders monitored by electronic monitoring.
	
		
			 Expenditure on electronic monitoring services, 2003-04 to 2012-13 
			  Total cost (£ million) 
			 2003-04 81.5 
			 2004-05 102.8 
			 2005-06 58.4 
			 2006-07 68.4 
			 2007-08 82.3 
			 2008-09 92.4 
			 2009-10 93.8 
			 2010-11 101.6 
			 2011-12 116.9 
			 2012-13 107.6

Employment Tribunals Service

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proportion of employment tribunal awards were not paid in the past three years for which figures are available; and what assessment he has made of the value of such awards.

Helen Grant: Where an employment tribunal makes a judgment with an element of a monetary award, that judgment will be issued to the parties involved, and the respondent will be directed to pay as appropriate. If the respondent fails to satisfy that award (i.e. fails to make the appropriate payment), the claimant is then able to bring enforcement proceedings through a civil court. Therefore the employment tribunal has no means of ascertaining what awards are satisfied, and what awards are not. As a result there is no information held on the number of awards that are satisfied, or the number that remain unpaid.
	Under the previous Government, in May 2009, the Ministry of Justice published research, conducted by IFF Research Ltd, which considered payment and non-payment of employment tribunal awards. That research is available via the Ministry of Justice website at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/docs/employment-tribunal-awards.pdf

Human Trafficking: Victim Support Schemes

Margot James: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the (a) nationality and (b) gender was of each suspected victim of trafficking referred to the Trafficking Victim Support Scheme operated by the Salvation Army in March 2013; in which (i) region and (ii) local authority area each of the suspected victims was found; and which agency referred each case to this scheme.

Helen Grant: In March 2013 there were 61 referrals to the Government-funded support service for adult victims of human trafficking in England and Wales administered by the Salvation Army. In the interests of victim safety only the region in which the victim was encountered is provided, and not the local authority. Details are provided as follows:
	
		
			 Nationality Gender Region Agency type 
			 Albanian Female South East Health Services 
			 Albanian Female South East Home Office 
			 Albanian Female Wales NGO 
			 Albanian Female South East Police 
			 Albanian Female Yorkshire Home Office 
			 Albanian Female South East Home Office 
			 Albanian Female South East Health Services 
			 British Male South East Police 
			 British Male South East NGO 
			 British Female South East Local Authority 
			 British Male South West Police 
			 British Female South East Self Referral 
			 Cameroonian Female South East NGO 
			 Cameroonian Female East Midlands Police 
			 Czech Male South East Police 
			 Czech Male South East NGO 
			 Filipino Female South East NGO 
			 Hungarian Male Yorkshire NGO 
			 Hungarian Female North West Police 
			 Indian Female West Midlands Home Office 
			 Liberian Female South West Prison 
			 Lithuanian Female North West Police 
			 Lithuanian Male South East NGO 
			 Lithuanian Male South East Police 
			 Malawi Female East Home Office 
			 Mongolian Female South East Police 
			 Nigerian Female South East NGO 
			 Nigerian Female South East Health Services 
			 Nigerian Male South East Other 
			 Nigerian Female West Midlands Home Office 
			 Nigerian Female South East Self Referral 
			 Nigerian Female South East NGO 
			 Nigerian Female South East Legal Representative 
			 Nigerian Female Yorkshire Police 
			 Nigerian Female East Midlands Home Office 
			 Nigerian Female North West NGO 
			 Nigerian Female South East Home Office 
			 Nigerian Female South East Legal Representative 
			 Not known Male Not Known Self Referral 
			 Not Known Male Not Known Self Referral 
			 Pakistani Female East Police 
			 Pakistani Female West Midlands Home Office 
			 Pakistani Male South Legal Representative 
			 Polish Male South East NGO 
			 Polish Male North West Police 
			 Polish Male North West NGO 
			 Polish Female West Midlands Police 
			 Polish Male West Midlands Police 
			 Polish Male West Midlands Self Referral 
			 Polish Male West Midlands Self Referral 
			 Romanian Male South NGO 
			 Romanian Male South NGO 
			 Romanian Male West Midlands Police 
			 Sierra Leone Female South East Local Authority 
			 Slovakian Female South East Police 
			 Slovakian Male North West NGO 
			 Slovakian Female South NGO 
			 Slovakian Male South East Police 
			 Thai Female East Home Office 
		
	
	
		
			 Ugandan Female South Self Referral 
			 Vietnamese Female South East NGO

Human Trafficking: Victim Support Schemes

Robert Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the (a) nationality and (b) gender was of each suspected victim of trafficking referred to the Trafficking Victim Support Scheme operated by the Salvation Army in April 2013; in which (i) region and (ii) local authority area each of the suspected victims was found; and which agency referred each case to this scheme.

Helen Grant: In April 2013 there were 71 referrals to the Government-funded support service for adult victims of human trafficking in England and Wales administered by the Salvation Army. In the interests of victim safety only the region in which the victim was encountered is provided, and not the local authority. Details are provided as follows:
	
		
			 Nationality Gender Region Agency type 
			 Albanian Female South East Police 
			 Albanian Female South East Local Authority 
			 Albanian Female South East Home Office 
			 Albanian Female South East Local Authority 
			 Albanian Female North West Home Office 
			 Albanian Female West Midlands Home Office 
			 Albanian Female South East Other Government Agency 
			 Albanian Female North West Home Office 
			 Albanian Female South East Home Office 
			 Albanian Female South East Home Office 
			 Albanian Female Yorkshire Home Office 
			 Albanian Female Wales Home Office 
			 Albanian Female South East Home Office 
			 Albanian Female Not Known Legal Representative 
			 British Male South NGO 
			 British Female South East Self Referral 
			 British Male South East Self Referral 
			 Cameroonian Female South East Detention 
			 Congolese Female South East Legal Representative 
			 Congolese Female North West Home Office 
			 Czech Male Yorkshire NGO 
			 Hungarian Male East Midlands NGO 
			 Hungarian Female West Midlands Police 
			 Hungarian Female Yorkshire Police 
			 Kenyan Female South East Home Office 
			 Latvian Female West Midlands Police 
			 Latvian Female South East Legal Representative 
			 Liberian Male South East Health Services 
			 Lithuanian Male West Midlands NGO 
			 Malawi Female North East Home Office 
			 Moroccan Female South East Detention 
			 Nigerian Female South East Local Authority 
			 Nigerian Female Yorkshire Home Office 
			 Nigerian Female Yorkshire Home Office 
			 Nigerian Female Yorkshire Home Office 
			 Nigerian Female East Midlands Home Office 
		
	
	
		
			 Nigerian Female East Home Office 
			 Nigerian Female North West Home Office 
			 Nigerian Female South East Legal Representative 
			 Nigerian Female North West NGO 
			 Nigerian Female South East Detention 
			 Pakistani Female East Midlands Police 
			 Pakistani Female North East Legal Representative 
			 Polish Female Yorkshire NGO 
			 Polish Male West Midlands Police 
			 Polish Male West Midlands Police 
			 Polish Male West Midlands Police 
			 Polish Male West Midlands GLA 
			 Polish Male West Midlands GLA 
			 Polish Male West Midlands GLA 
			 Romanian Female North West Local Authority 
			 Romanian Female South East Police 
			 Romanian Male West Midlands Police 
			 Slovakian Male Yorkshire NGO 
			 Slovakian Male East Midlands NGO 
			 Slovakian Male South East NGO 
			 Slovakian Male East Midlands Police 
			 Slovakian Male South East NGO 
			 Thailand Male South East Police 
			 Ugandan Female South East Health Services 
			 Ugandan Female South NGO 
			 Ugandan Female South East Health Services 
			 Vietnamese Female South East Local Authority 
			 Vietnamese Male Yorkshire Home Office 
			 Vietnamese Female North East Home Office 
			 Vietnamese Male West Midlands Legal Representative 
			 Vietnamese Female North East Home Office 
			 Vietnamese Female Yorkshire Home Office 
			 Vietnamese Mate Wales Home Office 
			 Vietnamese Female Wales Home Office 
			 Vietnamese Female South East Other

Legal Aid Scheme: Wales

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much was paid out in criminal legal aid costs to solicitors firms in (a) Wrexham constituency and (b) North Wales in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

Jeremy Wright: The Legal Aid Agency records costs relating to firms by legal aid procurement area, which is broadly based on local authority boundaries. The information requested falls under the remit of the Legal Services Commission; however the same applies as the information has historically been recorded by local authority.
	This information is provided in the table in relation to the Wrexham local authority and the North Wales region.
	
		
			 Criminal legal aid costs, North Wales 
			 £ million 
			  2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 
			 Wrexham 2.00 2.04 1.70 
			 Other 4.74 5.14 4.74 
		
	
	
		
			 Total 6.74 7.18 6.44 
			 Notes: 1. The costs include VAT and disbursements such as expenses, third party costs, and costs paid by Her Majesty's' Courts and Tribunals Services (HMCTS) on crown court cases. 2. The information does not include costs paid by the Court of Appeal, Supreme Court, House of Lords, and Senior Court Costs Office. Solicitor advocates are treated as barristers and costs paid to them are not included as part of the firm.

Legal Aid Scheme: Wales

Susan Elan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many firms received criminal legal aid payments in (a) Wrexham constituency and (b) North Wales in each of the last three years for which records are available.

Jeremy Wright: The Legal Aid Agency and its predecessor the Legal Services Commission (pre-1 April 2013) records costs relating to firms by legal aid procurement area, which is broadly based on local authority boundaries. We have provided this information as a reasonable proxy for constituency boundaries in relation to the Wrexham local authority and the North Wales region.
	
		
			 Criminal legal aid firms, North Wales 
			 Number 
			  2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 
			 Wrexham 6 7 7 
			 Other 23 23 22 
			 Total 29 30 29 
			 Note: Solicitor advocates are treated as barristers and not included as part of the firm.

Legal Aid Scheme: Wales

Susan Elan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much was paid out in criminal legal aid costs to solicitors firms in (a) Wrexham constituency and (b) North Wales in each of the last three years for which records are available.

Jeremy Wright: The Legal Aid Agency and its predecessor the Legal Services Commission (pre 1 April 2013) records costs relating to firms by legal aid procurement area, which is broadly based on local authority boundaries. We have provided this information as a reasonable proxy for constituency boundaries in relation to the Wrexham local authority and the North Wales region.
	
		
			 Criminal legal aid costs, North Wales 
			 £ million 
			  2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 
			 Wrexham 2.00 2.04 1.70 
			 Other 4.74 5.14 4.74 
			 Total 6.74 7.18 6.44 
			 Notes: 1. The costs include VAT and disbursements such as expenses, third party costs, and costs paid by Her Majesty's' Courts and Tribunals Services (HMCTS) on crown court cases. 2. The information does not include costs paid by the Court of Appeal, Supreme Court, House of Lords, and Senior Court Costs Office. Solicitor advocates are treated as barristers and costs paid to them are not included as part of the firm.

Legal Aid Scheme: Wales

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many firms received criminal legal aid payments in (a) Vale of Clwyd constituency and (b) North Wales in each of the last three years for which records are available.

Jeremy Wright: The Legal Aid Agency and its predecessor the Legal Services Commission (pre-1 April 2013) records costs relating to firms by legal aid procurement area, which is broadly based on local authority boundaries. We have provided this information as a reasonable proxy for constituency boundaries in relation to the Denbighshire local authority and the North Wales region.
	
		
			 Criminal legal aid firms, North Wales 
			 Number 
			  2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 
			 Denbighshire 3 3 3 
			 Others 26 27 26 
			 Total 29 30 29 
		
	
	Please also note that solicitor advocates are treated as barristers and not included as part of the firm.

Legal Aid Scheme: Wales

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much was paid out in criminal legal aid costs to solicitors firms in (a) Vale of Clwyd constituency and (b) North Wales in each of the last three years for which records are available.

Jeremy Wright: The Legal Aid Agency and its predecessor the Legal Services Commission (pre-1 April 2013) records costs relating to firms by legal aid procurement area, which is broadly based on local authority boundaries. We have provided this information as a reasonable proxy for constituency boundaries in relation to the Denbighshire local authority and the North Wales region.
	
		
			 Criminal legal aid costs 
			 £ million 
			  2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 
			 North Wales: Denbighshire 1.37 1.48 1.25 
			 North Wales: Others 5.37 5.70 5.19 
			 North Wales: Total 6.74 7.18 6.44 
			 Notes: 1. The costs include VAT and disbursements such as expenses, third party costs, and costs paid by Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Services (HMCTS) on crown court cases. 2. The information does not include costs paid by the Court of Appeal, Supreme Court, House of Lords, and Senior Court Costs Office. Solicitor advocates are treated as Barristers and costs paid to them are not included as part of the firm.

Pay

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what guidance his Department issues on the actions that would result in the suspension or removal of a bonus payment to an official in his Department; what the process is for clawing back such bonuses; and on how many occasions this has happened in each of the last five years.

Helen Grant: Non-consolidated performance-related payments are always paid retrospectively in two categories:
	(1) An ‘outstanding’ rating in an end-of-year review.
	(2) Reward for a particular piece of work that deserves recognition.
	‘In year’ payments to officials under the Ministry's recognition and reward policies are restricted to a maximum of £500 per single event.
	Payments to members of the senior civil service are determined through the ‘end-of-year’ performance and moderation process and are restricted in line with advised Cabinet Office guidelines for maximum payment levels.

Prison Sentences

Chris Heaton-Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when the costs and damages ordered by the European Court of Human Rights to be paid to Mr Brett James, Mr Nicholas Wells and Mr Jeffrey Lee in its judgement of 18 September 2012 were paid.

Damian Green: All three offenders are serving an indeterminate sentence of imprisonment for public protection (IPP), imposed before changes to the statutory construction of the sentence came into effect in July 2008. The Court did not find the IPP sentence unlawful. Her Majesty’s Government will continue to fight vigorously any claims citing the European Court’s judgment brought by offenders serving an IPP sentence in the domestic courts, which it considers to be without merit.
	The costs and damages awarded to Mr Brett James and Mr Nicholas Wells, ordered by the European Court of Human Rights, were paid on 5 March 2013. For Mr Lee, payment was made on 4 March 2013.
	The Court ordered that €3,000, €8,000 and €6,200 in respect of compensation be paid to Mr James, Mr Lee and Mr Wells respectively. The Court also ordered that €12,000 be paid to each offender in respect of costs.

Prisoners

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the (a) age group, (b) length of sentence and (c) declared health problem by type is of the UK prison population.

Jeremy Wright: Information on the prison population in England and Wales by length of sentence and age group are published and available in the prison population section of the ‘Offender Management Statistics Quarterly Bulletin' available at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/series/prisons-and-probation-statistics
	The requested data can be found in Table 1.1a and Table 1.8 respectively.
	Information is not held centrally on prisoners’ declared health problems. However, in November 2010, the Ministry of Justice published the results of a survey of prisoners sentenced to between one month and four years in 2005 and 2006 (Surveying Prisoner Crime Reduction—SPCR). The survey found that 34% of prisoners reported having a long-standing illness, disability or infirmity (Table 1). (Ministry of Justice 2010, ‘Compendium of reoffending statistics and analysis’. November 2010.)
	
		
			 Table 1: Type of long-standing illness or disability reported by prisoners (multiple responses possible) 
			 Health issue Number Percentage 
			 Problem with arms, legs, hands, feet, back or neck (including arthritis or rheumatism) 166 34.4 
			 Difficulty in seeing 22 (1)4.6 
			 Difficulty in hearing 22 (1)4.6 
			 Skin conditions, allergies 31 (1)6.4 
			 Chest, breathing problem, asthma, bronchitis 121 25.1 
			 Heart, blood pressure or blood circulation problems 56 11.6 
			 Stomach, liver, kidney or digestive problems 70 14.5 
			 Diabetes 15 (1)3.1 
			 Depression, bad nerves 127 26.3 
		
	
	
		
			 Mental illness, suffer from phobia, panics or other nervous disorders 94 19.5 
			 Learning difficulties 24 (1)5.0 
			 Epilepsy 37 (1)7.7 
			 Other health problems or disabilities 26 (1)5.4 
			 (1) Percentages should be treated with caution due to low counts. Notes: 1. Base size 484. 2. Two respondents did not answer this question but are included in the base size. 
		
	
	This self-report might exclude those with hidden issues, those who were not able to disclose mental illness, and those without insight into their condition. A separate analysis of prisoners' responses to this question, questions about their general health, and answers to an anxiety and depression screening scale found that approximately 36% of the sample could be considered to have a disability. This figure is made up of 28% with anxiety and depression, 11% with some form of physical disability, and 8% both (figures do not add up to 36% because of rounding) (Cunniffe, C, Van de Kerckhove, R, Williams K, and K Hopkins ‘Estimating the prevalence of disability amongst prisoners: results from the Surveying Prisoner Crime Reduction (SPCR) survey’. Ministry of Justice Research Summary 4/12).
	This can be compared to estimates of disability among the general population ranging from around one in five (19%) (Office for National Statistics 2007, ‘Family Resources Survey Statistical Report’ 2005/06) to one in four (26%) (Howe 2010, ‘Life Opportunities Survey’ Interim Results: 2009/10).
	These estimates may not include short-term or temporary illnesses or conditions.

Prisoners

Michael Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people were in prison in the last year for which figures are available; how many and what proportion of such people have been subject to restorative justice procedures; how many and what proportion of such people (a) met the victims of their crimes, (b) made reparations and (c) made a contract to pay back to their victims, their families or the local community in recompense for their actions.

Jeremy Wright: Information on the population in prison is published and available in the prison population section of the 'Offender Management Statistics Quarterly Bulletin', available at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/series/prisons-and-probation-statistics
	The requested data can be found in Table 1.1a.
	Information is not held centrally on whether or not offenders have been subject to restorative justice procedures while in prison. NOMS is committed to developing capacity to increase the use of restorative justice in the future given its impact on offending.

Prisoner Transfers

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the reasons were for prison-to-prison prisoner transit movements in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012.

Jeremy Wright: Prisoners are held in establishments that provide appropriate levels of security, are suitable for their gender, age and legal status, provide facilities to reduce their risk of reoffending and, wherever possible, at the lowest cost to the taxpayer.
	We do not generally hold data on the individual reasons for a prisoner's transfer. Where this is available, the information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost as it would involve a manual trawl through the individual records of every prisoner.

Prisons

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the real-terms change in spending of (a) prisons and (b) the probation service was in each financial year since 1996-97.

Jeremy Wright: Figures showing the spend for each financial year adjusted for inflation since 1996-97 for prisons are given in Table 1 below. For the probation service, the figures for each financial year since 2001-02 are given in Table 2. Prior to 2001-02 local probation committees were partly financed by local government under a different financial regime.
	Figures for 2012-13 are not yet available as the financial accounts have yet to be finalised.
	Over the period covered, changes to the scope of prisons and probation services and the accounting treatment followed in recording expenditure means the ability to make useful comparisons between years is limited.
	
		
			 Table 1 
			   Prisons total outturn expenditure 
			  GDP indices Nominal costs (£ million) Adjusted (£ million) % movement 
			 1996-97 1.378 1,774 2,445 — 
			 1997-98 1.351 1,904 2,573 5.2 
			 1998-99 1.324 2,089 2,765 7.5 
			 1999-2000 1.300 2,129 2,769 0.1 
			 2000-01 1.293 2,135 2,762 -0.3 
			 2001-02 1.269 2,245 2,849 3.2 
			 2002-03 1.238 2,405 2,978 4.5 
			 2003-04 1.212 2,281 2,764 -7.2 
			 2004-05 1.177 2,407 2,833 2.5 
			 2005-06 1.150 2,787 3,206 13.2 
			 2006-07 1.120 2,961 3,317 3.5 
			 2007-08 1.093 3,160 3,454 4.1 
			 2008-09 1.064 3,375 3,591 4.0 
			 2009-10 1.048 3,186 3,340 -7.0 
			 2010-11 1.021 3,099 3,163 -5.3 
			 2011-12 1.000 2,992 2,992 -5.4 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2 
			   Probation boards and trusts expenditure 
			  GDP indices Nominal costs (£ million) Adjusted (£ million) % movement 
			 2001-02 1.269 576 731 — 
			 2002-03 1.238 605 749 2.5 
			 2003-04 1.212 674 817 9.0 
			 2004-05 1.177 687 808 -1.0 
			 2005-06 1.150 770 886 9.6 
			 2006-07 1.120 807 904 2.1 
			 2007-08 1.093 845 924 2.2 
			 2008-09 1.064 897 955 3.3 
			 2009-10 1.048 899 942 -1.3 
		
	
	
		
			 2010-11 1.021 875 893 -5.2 
			 2011-12 1.000 821 821 -8.1 
			 Notes: 1. GDP deflators used to adjust for inflation are the latest National Accounts figures from ONS—last updated 27 March 2013. 2. Prison costs include public and private sector prisons. 3. Prison figures from 2005-06 include relevant expenditure met by the newly created National Offender Management Service. 4. Figures exclude costs met by other Government Departments. 5. Probation trusts were created from April 2008 and had replaced all the former probation boards from April 2010 onwards. 6. Probation trusts may also receive income from elsewhere.

Prisons: Employment

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether prisoners who are not receiving income from work under the Prisoners’ Earnings Act 1996 are not working because of restrictions arising from their health.

Jeremy Wright: NOMS does not record the number of prisoners who are eligible to work under the Prisoners' Earnings Act 1996. To identify these prisoners would require examining and collating personal records from individual establishments and this would incur disproportionate costs.

Prisons: Firearms

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many prison staff have unspent convictions for firearms offences;
	(2)  what requirement there is for the management of HM Prison Ranby to report to his Department instances of convictions of prison staff for firearms offences; and on how many occasions such convictions have been reported in the last five years;
	(3)  whether any managers working at HM Prison Ranby have received a conviction for firearms offences while employed at the prison in the last five years;
	(4)  how many managers at HM Prison Ranby have received a conviction for firearms offences whilst working at the prison in the last five years; and whether each such manager is still employed by the Prison Service in any establishment.

Jeremy Wright: Data on the number of prison staff with unspent convictions for firearms offences are not held centrally. To determine this would involve extracting information on convictions or cautions from individual personnel files for each member of staff which could be done only at disproportionate cost.
	All disciplinary issues, including convictions for firearms offences, are managed by the prison governor within the prison establishment, in line with the NOMS conduct and discipline policy. There has been one instance within the last five years at HMP Ranby in which a member of staff received a police caution for possession of a hunting gun without a licence. That member of staff is still employed by NOMS at a prison establishment.
	All prison staff are expected to meet high standards of professional and personal conduct. Criminal convictions, receipt of a police caution, reprimands and fixed penalties must always be reported with each case judged on its own merits in line with both conduct and discipline and security vetting policies.

Prisons: Violence

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many incidents of violent misconduct occur in prisons on average on each day.

Jeremy Wright: Assault incidents account for the large majority of violent misconduct in prison. In 2012, there were an average of 40 assault incidents per day of which around 9% were considered serious.
	NOMS and the Prison Officers' Association (POA) are jointly committed to a zero tolerance approach to assaults on staff, visitors and prisoners.

Regulation

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what processes his Department has put in place to (a) monitor, (b) collate cost information on, (c) review and (d) respond to requests to amend or revoke regulations introduced by his Department;
	(2)  what the title was of each set of regulations introduced by his Department in each month since May 2010; and which of those regulations have been (a) subject to the (i) one in one out and (ii) one in two out procedure and (b) (i) revoked and (ii) amended;
	(3)  if he will provide the estimated cost of each regulation introduced by his Department since May 2010; and what the estimated benefits of each regulation (a) amended and (b) revoked were.

Helen Grant: As part of the Red Tape Challenge:
	http://www.redtapechallenge.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/home/index
	the Government’s initiative to remove disproportionate burdens on business and citizens, the Ministry of Justice has reviewed approximately 150 statutory instruments relating to a range of areas, with a view to repealing or improving those which are no longer necessary. This process included a public, web-based consultation inviting comments and suggestions on which regulations caused unnecessary problems; all the comments received are being thoroughly considered before a final decision is made on the relevant regulations.
	The one-in, one-out rule was introduced in 1 September 2010 and applied to regulations introduced from 1 January 2011. One-in, two-out replaced the one-in, one-out rule and applies to regulations introduced from 1 January 2013.
	The Ministry of Justice introduced the following regulatory measures under the one-in, one-out rule over the period January 2011 to December 2012:
	First Statement of New Regulation (SNR1)—update published in September 2011
	EU Maintenance measure with zero net costs
	Second Statement of New Regulation (SNR2)—published 26 September 2011
	Implementation of the Legal Services Act 2007 with zero net costs,
	MOJ did not introduce any measures during the period of the third and fourth Statements of New Regulation (SNR3 and SNR4) published on 28 February and 17 July 2012 respectively.
	The following measures were introduced under the one-in, two-out rule, and included in the fifth Statement of New Regulation (SNR5) published on 17 December 2012. All measures were assessed at zero net costs.
	Amendment of the Client Specific rule 6(b) of the Claims Management Regulator's Conduct of Authorised Persons Rules 2007
	Claims Management Rules Review (Phase 2). (This will now come into force in July 2013 during the SNR6 period).
	Referral Fees in Personal Injury Claims;
	Reform of Civil Litigation Funding and Costs in England and Wales (Jackson);
	Scheme Rules for the Office of Legal Complaints (legal Ombudsman).
	No regulations within the scope of the one-in, one-out or one-in, two-out rule have been revoked or amended.

Scotland

Margaret Curran: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what (a) his Department and (b) its non-departmental public bodies procured from companies based in Scotland of a value in excess of £25,000 since May 2010; and what the cost to the public purse was of each such procurement contract.

Helen Grant: MOJ suppliers based in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are classified as British in Ministry of Justice finance systems. To filter out those suppliers based in Scotland would require a manual cross reference of postcodes and suppliers with whom the Ministry of Justice has contracts valued in excess of £25,000. The Ministry of Justice is not able to answer this question as it would incur disproportionate costs to obtain the information.

Scotland

David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will list the legislation his Department has sponsored which has devolved powers to the Scottish Parliament and powers within such legislation since 1998.

David Mundell: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Scotland Office.
	Scotland Office is responsible for maintaining and strengthening the devolution settlement; together with lead policy Departments we have delivered a programme of Scotland Act orders that have provided additional powers to the Scottish Parliament, as well as delivering the Scotland Act 2012 that enhanced the devolution settlement and provided the largest transfer of financial responsibility since 1999.
	Further devolution to the Scottish Parliament is principally achieved by way of amendments to schedules 4 and 5 of the Act. Since 1998 the following changes to those schedules have been made. These are presented in summary form.
	Amendments to schedule 4 of the Scotland Act 1998
	Power to modify the Scotland Act 1998 regarding financial assistance for opposition parties in the Scottish Parliament.
	Powers to modify certain provisions of the Scotland Act 1998 requiring any sum to be payable out of the Scottish Consolidated Fund.
	Power to provide that proceedings brought in a court or tribunal against a member of the Scottish Government under the Scotland Act 1998 on human rights grounds have to be brought before the end of a limitation period (since repealed by Scotland Act 2012).
	Amendments to schedule 5 of the Scotland Act 1998
	Political parties
	The making of payments to any political party for the purpose of assisting members of the Parliament to perform their parliamentary duties.
	Referendum
	A power to allow the Scottish Parliament to conduct a referendum on the independence of Scotland from the rest of the United Kingdom, subject to certain conditions.
	Financial and economic matters
	Powers to set a rate of income tax to be paid by Scottish taxpayers, and taxes in relation to land transactions and landfill.
	Home affairs
	The interception of any communication made to or by a person detained at a place of detention.
	The regulation of air weapons.
	Trade and industry
	Powers in relation to business associations which are social landlords, including in relation to winding up proceedings and procedures giving protection from creditors.
	Powers to provide financial assistance for the provision of services (other than postal services and services relating to money or postal orders) to be provided from public post offices.
	Transport
	Powers to impose requirements on Scottish public authorities about the preparation and submission of strategies relating to the provision of rail services.
	Powers to transfer functions of passenger transport executives or passenger transport authorities relating to rail services, and the allocation of such functions among relevant authorities.
	The promotion and construction of railways which start, end and remain in Scotland.
	Power to impose requirements on Scottish public authorities about the preparation and submission of strategies relating to the provision of air services.
	Social security
	Powers to provide occasional financial or other assistance to or in respect of individuals for the purposes of meeting an immediate short-term need, arising out of exceptional services, to avoid risk to the individual’s well-being, or enabling qualifying individuals to establish or maintain a settled home.
	Employment
	Fire safety on construction sites and on certain premises, including those concerned in the manufacture or storage of chemicals, explosives or flammable materials.
	Amendment to part 1 of the Scotland Act 1998
	Elections
	Power to make provision as to the conduct of elections for membership of the Scottish Parliament, and the questioning of such an election and the consequences of irregularities. Made by the Scotland Act 2012 and yet to be brought into force.

Solicitors Regulation Authority

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what the cost to the Solicitors Regulation Authority was of defending claims of racial discrimination disclosed to the Implementation Group by that body in April 2012;
	(2)  how many ethnic minority solicitors have been made subject to (a) charging orders, (b) orders for sale against their property and (c) bankruptcy proceedings in each of the last five years;
	(3)  how many former police officers of the (a) Metropolitan police and (b) West Midlands police (i) are currently and (ii) were formerly employed as investigating officers of the Solicitors Regulation Authority;

Helen Grant: We do not hold this information. The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) is the regulatory arm of the Law Society of England and Wales responsible for the conduct of solicitors. It is independent of Government.

Young Offender Institutions

Jason McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what measures he is taking to improve conditions in young offender institutions.

Jeremy Wright: We are currently considering responses to our consultation ‘Transforming Youth Custody: Putting education at the heart of detention’ which set out our plans for secure colleges. Through this work we are looking at ways of improving outcomes across the youth secure estate, including under 18 young offender institutions (YOIs).
	All YOIs (under 18 and over 18) are subject to inspection by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Prisons who monitor performance against the four tests of a healthy prison: purposeful activity, safety, respect and resettlement. HMIP produce recommendations for improvement for each site and an establishment's progress can be found on the Justice website. We are committing to improving provision across all YOIs.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Climate Change

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Defence about the potential security implications of climate change for the UK.

Gregory Barker: DECC Ministers meet regularly with ministerial colleagues from other Government Departments to discuss Government business. However, the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change has not met the Secretary of state for Defence recently to discuss the security implications of climate change for the UK.
	The UK recognises that climate change has the potential to act as a "threat-multiplier", exacerbating existing tensions and resource stresses. This poses a risk to the security and prosperity of the UK. The Department is in regular dialogue with other Government Departments, including the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Ministry of Defence and the Department for International Development, as we work together on these issues.

Climate Change: Central America

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 
	(1)  what steps he is taking to ensure cross-departmental co-operation with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office over the effects of climate change in Central America;
	(2)  what steps he is taking to increase public awareness of the effects of climate change on Central America.

Gregory Barker: DECC co-operates with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) across its range of international work on climate change: demonstrating leadership domestically and through the EU; building the case for global ambition in key countries, supporting the development of low carbon resilient economies, and ensuring progress within the international negotiations. This includes working with countries according to their individual circumstances.
	In the case of Central America, FCO posts have made use of their bilateral funds to increase public awareness of issues in their host countries, including the effects of climate change and the need for international action. These projects are diverse and include climate change education in Belize, biodiversity protection work in Costa Rica and a regional forum on climate change challenges, held in San Salvador.
	In addition, the UK has provided £15 million of climate finance to the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility. This facility assists developing countries in their efforts to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation and to foster conservation, sustainable management of forests, and enhancement of forest carbon stocks (all activities commonly referred to as "REDD+") by providing value to standing forests.
	A significant proportion of Central American countries are already participants in the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility. These include Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, Nicaragua and Guatemala. Further details on the specific activities supported in Central American countries can be found here:
	http://www.forestcarbonpartnership.org/redd-country-participants
	The UK has also provided £100 million of climate finance to the Scaling Up Renewable Energy Program (SREP) in low income countries. This is part of the Climate Investment Funds. The SREP supports a number of pilot countries, including Honduras, to scale up the deployment of renewable energy solutions and expand renewables markets. Further details on the specific activities supported in Honduras can be found here:
	https://www.climateinvestmentfunds.org/cifnet/?q=country/honduras
	The UK Government have taken action to increase public awareness of the likely effects of climate change. This included funding the Met Office Hadley Centre to produce a map in 2011 outlining some of the impacts that may occur if the global average temperature rises by 4 °C (7 °F) above the pre-industrial climate average. The map showed that this average rise will not be spread uniformly across the globe and gave an indication of what the likely implications could be for different parts of the world, including Central America.

Climate Change: Polar Regions

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he is taking to ensure cross-departmental co-operation with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office about the effects of climate change in the polar regions.

Gregory Barker: DECC works closely with other Government Departments, including the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for International Development, as well as FCO's attaché network, to address climate change. Within this, we co-operate with the FCO in relation to the effects of climate change in the polar regions. Some of the ways in which we work together include:
	DECC is a member of the Cross-Whitehall Arctic Network, hosted by the FCO, which regularly meets to discuss all matters pertaining to the Arctic including the impacts of climate change.
	DECC and the FCO are working together to produce the climate change elements of the Government's Arctic Policy Framework, which will be published this summer.
	Both DECC and the FCO work closely with the Natural Environment Research Council, and the British Antarctic Survey in particular, on developing Arctic and Antarctic climate science.

Climate Change: Polar Regions

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent discussions he has had with the British Antarctic Survey regarding that body's research into climate change in the polar regions.

Gregory Barker: The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change has not had any recent discussions with the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), regarding its research into climate change in the polar regions. However, I visited BAS in 2011, to learn more about its research work. My officials are in regular contact with BAS scientists and one of its scientists has been working on a part-time basis with DECC as a Government Knowledge Integrator, since August 2012.

Conditions of Employment

Pamela Nash: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many people in his Department are employed on zero-hours contracts.

Gregory Barker: The Department of Energy and Climate Change does not employ any people on zero-hour contracts.

Electricity

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when his Department will publish its plan for electricity demand reduction.

Gregory Barker: The Government Response to the Consultation on Options to Reduce Electricity Demand setting out the way forward for electricity demand reduction was published on 21 May and copies are available in the Library of the House.
	Along with the Consultation Response, the Government confirmed that energy demand reduction measure will be included in the proposed Capacity Market in the Energy Bill.

Energy: Conservation

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much energy the Industrial Energy Efficiency Programme was forecast to save by (a) 2015 and (b) 2010 when his Department reduced that programme's level of funding in 2010.

Gregory Barker: The Industrial Energy Efficiency Programme was established in September 2011 and its three main elements are the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS), the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme and Climate Change Agreements. There has been no reduction in funding for this programme. Funding has increased annually to 2013 in recognition of the need to implement Phase III of the EU ETS, and start the simplified Climate Change Agreements and CRC Energy Efficiency Schemes.
	The IEE programme has contributed to wider strategic developments, most recently the Energy Efficiency Strategy published on 12 November 2012 at
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/energy-efficiency-opportunities-in-the-uk
	and the "Future of Heating: Meeting the challenge" policy document published on 26 March 2013 at
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-future-of-heating-meeting-the-challenge
	The projected energy/carbon savings for 2015 and 2020 for the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme and Climate Change Agreements are set out as follows as published in DECC's Updated Energy and Emissions projections (UEP) in 2010 and 2012 and in the 2012 Energy Efficiency Strategy.
	The EU ETS is an EU-wide cap and trade system. In 2020, emissions from sectors covered by the EU ETS will be 21% lower than in 2005.(1) Given that a number of different policies have an impact on energy consumption and emissions in the sectors covered by the system, estimates for savings in the UK that are attributable to the EU ETS alone are not available from DECC's latest analytical projections.
	It should be noted that the scope and coverage of each scheme has changed since 2010 due to EU amendments of the EU ETS and regulatory simplification of CCA and CRC Energy Efficiency.
	
		
			 MtCO2 
			  2010 UEP projections 2012 UEP projections 
			 Scheme By 2015 By 2020 By 2015 By 2020 
			 CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme 3.8 19.6 2.1 9.3 
		
	
	
		
			 MtCO2 
			  2010 UEP projections 2012 Energy Efficiency Strategy 
			 Scheme By 2015 By 2020 2008-15 2008-20 
			 Climate Change Agreements Savings(2) 37.1 65.5 12.9 20.9 
			 (1) http://ec.europa.eu/clima/policies/ets/index_en.htm (2) Policy savings in UEP are estimated against a 2009 baseline. Since CCAs pre-date 2009, UEP figures are estimated legacy and planned savings from the extension of the scheme over the period 2008 to 2015 and to 2020 for targets set up to 2010. Estimates published in 2012 correspond to the analysis published by the Energy Efficiency Strategy which includes legacy savings but excludes emissions savings from new CCA targets that were set in December 2012.

Energy: ICT

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment his Department has made of the total amount of energy consumed by data centres in the UK over the last 10 years.

Gregory Barker: No estimate has been made of the energy consumption of data centres across the UK.
	The Department is currently tendering for a major research project to estimate detailed energy use within non-domestic buildings. This project, when complete, should provide a more detailed breakdown of energy consumption in non-domestic buildings than is currently available.

Energy: Romford

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the effect of the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme on household energy prices in Romford constituency.

Gregory Barker: In March DECC published its updated assessment of the impacts of energy and climate change policies on UK energy prices and bills(1). Annex D presents an estimated breakdown of an average household gas and electricity bill in 2013. It shows that the costs of the European Union Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) are estimated to account for £8, or less than 1%, of an average UK household dual fuel energy bill (in real 2012 prices).
	This estimate is based on an EU ETS price of around £6 t/CO2 (real 2012 prices). The EUETS allowance price is currently lower than this, clearing at €3.43 t/CO2 on 22 May 2013, which equates to around £2.9 t/CO2 when converted to sterling and also expressed in real 2012 prices.
	The analysis does not look at the impacts in specific geographical locations.
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/172923/130326_-_Price_and_Bill_Impacts_Report_Final.pdf

Fracking

Dan Byles: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the expected rate of fugitive methane emissions from the development of UK onshore shale gas resources; and whether he intends to commission additional research on this subject.

Michael Fallon: In December 2012, the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change requested a study to gather available evidence on potential greenhouse gas emissions from shale gas extraction in the UK and the compatibility of potential UK shale gas production and use with climate change targets. A report is being prepared with the outcome of this study and recommendations to mitigate the impacts of shale gas exploration, production and use. I expect this report to be published in the summer.

Fracking

Dan Byles: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will commission further studies on the volume of shale gas in UK waters.

Michael Fallon: No.

Green Deal Scheme

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the number of timber-framed houses which have been insulated through the Green Deal to date; and if he will make a statement.

Gregory Barker: The Department does not currently collect information on the number of timber-framed houses insulated through the Green Deal.

Green Deal Scheme

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when his Department will bring forward proposals for the non-domestic Green Deal.

Gregory Barker: The Legislative framework for non-domestic Green Deal is already in place. The market will determine its rollout.
	There are currently 16 non-domestic assessor organisations and 55 non-domestic providers registered with oversight and registration body.

Green Deal Scheme

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment his Department has made of the capacity of the UK construction workforce with regard to (a) numbers and (b) skills to meet demand for Green Deal installations.

Gregory Barker: There are currently 1,173 installer organisations on the Green Deal installer register, and numbers continue to increase each week.
	The Green Deal will build on the existing skills of the UK construction industry and discussions with stakeholders suggest that the current supply chain has spare capacity to respond to business growth, both in terms of manufacturing and installation.

Methane: Arctic

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 
	(1)  what steps he is taking to ensure the levels of methane gas released from Arctic ice are monitored and measured;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the effects of Arctic methane release on climate change;
	(3)  what assessment he has made of the changing amount of methane in Arctic permafrost released over the last 10 years.

Gregory Barker: The Department is contributing to the Arctic Research Programme (ARP) of the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), which aims to improve our capability to predict changes in the Arctic, particularly over timescales of months to decades, including regional impacts and the potential for feedbacks on the global Earth System.
	Part of this programme includes observational measurements to quantity and understand better methane release from the Arctic, including from continental shelves under the Arctic Ocean. The ARP is also collaborating with Canadian scientists and the Met Office Hadley Centre (MOHC), on the study of methane release from Arctic permafrost.
	The most recent data suggest that marine sources of methane in the Arctic are currently insignificant and, although Arctic terrestrial methane emissions may be increasing in places, overall there has been no significant increase.
	Current evidence suggests that recent methane release in the Arctic has had limited effect on the climate but that much larger emissions, if they were to occur in the future, would potentially have a major impact. These are considered most likely to arise from land-based permafrost sources rather than from marine sources, but further research is required to understand better the risks.
	Further information on the ARP is available at:
	http://www.arctic.ac.uk/programme/

Nuclear Installations

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he plans to publish his review of the Radiation (Emergency Preparedness and Public Information) Regulations (REPPIR) covering emergencies around nuclear installations; with which stakeholders his Department has liaised in revising the existing regulations; what assessment he has made of the guidelines produced by the International Atomic Energy Agency on the issue of emergency planning zones; what consideration he has given to the proposal for a European Council Directive laying down basic safety standards for protection against the dangers arising from exposure to ionising radiation; which consultants have been contracted to assist in the revisions; and if he will publish on his departmental web site all papers his Department has assessed during the revision process.

Michael Fallon: The European Commission (EC) brought forward a formal proposal for a new basic safety standards directive that brings together and consolidates four existing Euratom directives, with a Euratom recommendation, on radiation protection.
	DECC has overall UK government responsibility for negotiating the revision of the EU basic safety standards directive. A cross-Government group has been convened to ensure a consistent approach across UK Government. DECC is working closely with other Government Departments and agencies, and officials from the devolved Administrations, to contribute to negotiations. DECC have been fully engaged in the negotiations to develop the proposal to amend the basic safety standards directive through participation in the Council working group—the Atomic Questions Working Group.
	DECC will consider whether any revisions to the Radiation (Emergency Preparedness and Public Information) Regulations 2001 are required once the directive has been finalised. At the present time, no consultants have been contracted to assist with, revising REPPIR as part of this process. Similarly, DECC is not able to publish on its website any papers, assessed during the REPPIR revision process as this process has not taken place.
	The UK Government consider international guidelines, including those of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), when developing nuclear emergency preparedness policy. It is cognisant of the type and sizes of emergency planning zones recommended by the IAEA. IAEA guidelines are likely to be considered as part of any future UK Government review of REPPIR.

Nuclear Reactors

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what problems have arisen with the application of the UK computer coding practice in the integration of Esterel critical systems software from Areva in France into licensable UK new reactor design; and what reports he has received from the Office of Nuclear Regulation on the resolution of outstanding problems.

Michael Fallon: The Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) assessed the UK version of the European Pressurised Reactor (EPR)™ through the Generic Design Assessment (GDA) process using ONR's published Safety Assessment Principles (SAPs) and other guidance. ONR concluded that the software development processes proposed by EDF and AREVA (the Requesting Party for the GDA process) were adequate when compared with its SAPs and the requirements of the relevant international standards. The use of Esterel critical systems software tools was not proposed by EDF and AREVA during the assessment and consequently no problems were identified. Whichever aids and tools are used as part of the software development process for safety systems, ONR requires licensees to be able to demonstrate that software development processes are consistent with the guidance given in ONR's SAPS and relevant international standards, or equivalent.

Offshore Industry

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the annual charge is for (a) seaward production licences and (b) landward petroleum exploration and development licences.

Michael Fallon: Annual rentals for licences are calculated on the acreage (by square kilometre) of each individual licence, subject to a schedule approved by HM Treasury at the time of opening of each licence round.
	(a) Traditional seaward production licences are £150 per square kilometre for the first four years and then rise annually in stages to £7,500 in the thirteenth year, remaining constant at that rate thereafter.
	(b) Landward petroleum, exploration and development licences are £25 per square
	kilometre for the first five years and then rise annually in stages to £1,200 in the twentieth year, remaining constant at that rate thereafter.
	Full details of seaward and landward round rentals are given in pages 11 to 13 of DECC's ‘Applications For Production Licences General Guidance—January 2012’ which can be found on the Government's website at the following web address:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/15170/4226-guidance-general-application.pdf

Offshore Industry

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much revenue his Department has received from annual charges on (a) seaward production licences and (b) landward petroleum exploration and development licences (i) in each of the last 20 years and (ii) from each licensing round.

Michael Fallon: DECC does not receive this revenue, it is collected by the Department and then goes into the Consolidated Fund. Revenue figures from annual licence charges (seaward and landward combined) over the last 20 years can be found in the table ‘Government Revenues from UK Oil and Gas Production’ on DECC's website:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/203892/UKCS_Tax_Table_May_2013.pdf
	For ease of reference the relevant section of the table is as follows:
	
		
			 Financial year Licence fees (£ million) 
			 1992-93 34 
			 1993-94 43 
			 1994-95 41 
			 1995-96 49 
			 1996-97 48 
			 1997-98 54 
			 1998-99 62 
			 1999-2000 53 
			 2000-01 55 
			 2001-02 59 
			 2002-03 63 
			 2003-04 58 
			 2004-05 57 
			 2005-06 57 
			 2006-07 57 
			 2007-08 55 
			 2008-09 63 
			 2009-10 67 
			 2010-11 70 
			 2011-12 67 
		
	
	Separating out onshore licence fees and to carry out the necessary work to match revenue to specific licence rounds would require significant resources and would involve disproportionate costs.

Offshore Industry

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 
	(1)  how many staff are employed by his Department to work on oil and gas petroleum licensing;
	(2)  what the annual budget of his Department is for oil and gas petroleum licensing activities.

Michael Fallon: Within DECC, the following numbers of staff are employed in work on oil and gas petroleum licensing:
	A total of 59 staff work in the Energy Development Unit's (EDU's) Licensing Exploration and Development Branch, of which some 32 staff are involved in work on oil and gas petroleum licensing. 11 of these staff are directly involved in the administration of licensing rounds and issue of licences.
	In addition, there are three members of Information Technology staff involved in work on oil and gas petroleum licensing.
	55 staff from EDU's Offshore Environment and Decommissioning Branch are engaged in environmental regulation of offshore petroleum activities, including advice on the environmental management capability of licence applicants.
	DECC's annual budgets (2012-13) for these activities are as follows:
	EDO—LED: £3.4 million, of which direct involvement in administration of licensing rounds constitutes around £730,000
	EDU—IT: £550,000
	OED: £5.2 million.

Offshore Industry

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many applications of (a) seaward production licences and (b) landward petroleum exploration and development licences were made in each licensing round.

Michael Fallon: (a) The following table shows seaward licensing round applications.
	
		
			 Seaward licensing rounds—Number of applications 
			 Round Year Number of applications 
			 1 1964 31 
			 2 1965 21 
			 3 1970 34 
			 4 1971-72 259 
			 5 1976-77 53 
			 6 1978-79 55 
			 7 1980-81 125 
			 8 1982-83 60 
			 9 1984-85 149 
			 10 1986-87 75 
			 11 1988-89 125 
			 12 1990-91 115 
			 13 1990-91 13 
			 14 1992-93 97 
			 15 1994 25 
			 16 1994-95 61 
			 17 1996-97 32 
			 18 1998 43 
			 19 2000-01 13 
			 20 2002 29 
			 21 2003 70 
			 22 2004 76 
			 23 2005 135 
			 24 2007 147 
			 25 2009 193 
			 26 2010 187 
			 27 2012 224 
		
	
	(b) The following table shows the number of applications received in the last five landward licensing rounds. To obtain historical figures beyond those listed would require significant resources and would involve disproportionate costs.
	
		
			 Landward licensing rounds—Number of applications 
			 Round Year Number of applications 
			 9 2000 57 
			 10 2001 30 
			 11 2003 8 
			 12 2004 30 
			 13 2008 60

Offshore Industry

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the total revenue received by his Department was for applications for (a) seaward production licences and (b) landward petroleum exploration and development licences in each licensing round.

Michael Fallon: Since 2011 DECC has retained licence application fee revenues previously remitted to The Consolidated Fund. The revenue figures available are as follows:
	
		
			 £ million 
			 Financial year Offshore Onshore Total 
			 2002-03 0.0 0.0 0.0 
			 2003-04 0.2 0.0 0.2 
			 2004-05 0.2 0.0 0.2 
			 2005-06 0.4 nil 0.4 
			 2006-07 0.4 nil 0.4 
			 2007-08 0.0 0.0 0.0 
			 2008-09 0.5 0.0 0.5 
			 2009-10 0.0 nil 0.0 
			 2010-11 0.4 nil 0.4 
			 2011-12 nil nil nil 
			 Note: “Nil” means that no application fees were received. A “0.0” figure means that fees were received for total amounts considerably less than £0.5 million.

Offshore Industry

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent estimate he has made of the cost to his Department of assessing an application for an (a) seaward production licence and (b) landward petroleum exploration and development licence.

Michael Fallon: The cost of assessing an application for a production licence is calculated prior to each round. The most recent assessments are £2,100 for a seaward production licence and £1,400 for a (landward) petroleum exploration and development licence.

Offshore Industry: Safety

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 
	(1)  what recent assessment he has made of the potential implications for the offshore oil and gas (a) workforce and (b) industry of the Health and Safety Executive's decision to transfer specialist offshore safety inspectors to a new energy division responsible for enforcing the safety regime in mines, gas and pipeline industries as well as the offshore oil and gas industry;
	(2)  what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on the potential implications for the offshore oil and gas industry of the recent restructuring of the Health and Safety Executive; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what assessment he has made of the implications for the offshore oil and gas (a) industry and (b) workforce of the Health and Safety Executive's decision to abolish its offshore safety division.

Michael Fallon: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by the Minister of State, Department for Work and Pensions, my hon. Friend the Member for Fareham (Mr Hoban), on 21 May 2013, Official Report, columns 666-7W.

Personnel Management

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many officials in his Department were employed in human resources functions in each of the last five years; at what grades such staff were employed; and what the total cost of his Department’s human resources functions was.

Gregory Barker: DECC was formed in 2008 but the HR function did not exist at this point. The following table outlines the cost and size of the function from April 2009.
	
		
			  Grade Total headcount Cost (£ million) 
			 2009-10 (as at March 2009) 1 x SCS 2 x grade 6 1 x HEO 4 1.3 
			 2010-11 (as at March 2010) 2 x SCS 6 x grade 6 1 x grade 7 2 x HEO 11 2 
			 2011-12 (as at March 2011) 3 x SCS 7 x grade 6 3 x grade 7 3 x SEO 4 x HEO 20 2.3 
			 2012-13 (as at March 2012) 2 x SCS 5 x grade 6 6 x grade 7 3 x SEO 3 x HEO 19 2.4 
		
	
	In addition to the costs shown above, since 2011 DECC HR has managed centrally a budget for all learning and development undertaken by staff in DECC. This is a mix of both generic and technical, professional and business specific learning and development. The total spend in 2012-13 was £1.5 million, in 2011-12 it was £1.6 million.

Procurement

David Mowat: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps his Department took to ensure that the NSA procurement processes run by his Department gave a high priority to the improvement and retention of local specialist skills.

Gregory Barker: The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) and its site licence companies (SLCs) are responsible for tackling the nuclear legacy. In doing so they are required to ensure that they maintain and improve the skills in local communities necessary to deliver their mission. One of the ways they can do so is through their procurement of goods and services from the supply chain. Procurement across the NDA’s estate is a matter for the NDA and the SLC’s, which they carry out in line with EU procurement rules. The Government is not involved in individual procurements, but within the bounds of procurement rules, we do encourage the NDA to use procurement to help deliver their responsibility to maintain and develop local skills. We have agreed a small and medium enterprise (SME) action plan with the NDA. This seeks to reduce barriers and increase opportunities for SMEs, which tend to have a strong local presence, in the NDA’s supply chain. We also encourage local suppliers to bid for contracts, in the hope the work can be performed locally and contribute to local economic growth.

Renewable Energy

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the net reduction in carbon emissions which will result from achieving the target of 20 per cent of power generation from renewable sources.

Michael Fallon: I refer my right hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on 20 May 2013, Official Report, column 465W.

Renewable Energy

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will raise the fixed feed-in tariff threshold with regard to cooperative and community energy schemes.

Gregory Barker: The Government are considering an amendment to the Energy Bill which would seek to increase the specified maximum capacity of the feed-in tariff scheme from the current 5 MW limit.

Renewable Energy: Scotland

Chris Heaton-Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether the costs of intermittency were factored into cost comparisons of wind power with other forms of generation in the calculations underlying his Department's report on the Scottish Islands Renewables Project. [R]

Michael Fallon: The cost comparisons in the recent report on Scottish Islands Renewables were made on the basis of Levelised Cost of Electricity Generation. These estimates are intended to capture the average costs over the lifetime of the plant per MWh of electricity generated. These include grid connection costs, but do not include balancing costs associated with intermittency.

Scotland

David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will list the legislation his Department has sponsored which has devolved powers to the Scottish Parliament and powers within such legislation since 1998.

David Mundell: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Scotland Office.
	Scotland Office is responsible for maintaining and strengthening the devolution settlement; together with lead policy Departments we have delivered a programme of Scotland Act orders that have provided additional powers to the Scottish Parliament, as well as delivering the Scotland Act 2012 that enhanced the devolution settlement and provided the largest transfer of financial responsibility since 1999.
	Further devolution to the Scottish Parliament is principally achieved by way of amendments to schedules 4 and 5 of the Act. Since 1998 the following changes to those schedules have been made. These are presented in summary form.
	Amendments to schedule 4 of the Scotland Act 1998
	Power to modify the Scotland Act 1998 regarding financial assistance for opposition parties in the Scottish Parliament.
	Powers to modify certain provisions of the Scotland Act 1998 requiring any sum to be payable out of the Scottish Consolidated Fund.
	Power to provide that proceedings brought in a court or tribunal against a member of the Scottish Government under the Scotland Act 1998 on human rights grounds have to be brought before the end of a limitation period (since repealed by Scotland Act 2012).
	Amendments to schedule 5 of the Scotland Act 1998
	Political parties
	The making of payments to any political party for the purpose of assisting members of the Parliament to perform their parliamentary duties.
	Referendum
	A power to allow the Scottish Parliament to conduct a referendum on the independence of Scotland from the rest of the United Kingdom, subject to certain conditions.
	Financial and economic matters
	Powers to set a rate of income tax to be paid by Scottish taxpayers, and taxes in relation to land transactions and landfill.
	Home affairs
	The interception of any communication made to or by a person detained at a place of detention.
	The regulation of air weapons.
	Trade and industry
	Powers in relation to business associations which are social landlords, including in relation to winding up proceedings and procedures giving protection from creditors.
	Powers to provide financial assistance for the provision of services (other than postal services and services relating to money or postal orders) to be provided from public post offices.
	Transport
	Powers to impose requirements on Scottish public authorities about the preparation and submission of strategies relating to the provision of rail services.
	Powers to transfer functions of passenger transport executives or passenger transport authorities relating to rail services, and the allocation of such functions among relevant authorities.
	The promotion and construction of railways which start, end and remain in Scotland.
	Power to impose requirements on Scottish public authorities about the preparation and submission of strategies relating to the provision of air services.
	Social security
	Powers to provide occasional financial or other assistance to or in respect of individuals for the purposes of meeting an immediate short-term need, arising out of exceptional services, to avoid risk to the individual’s well-being, or enabling qualifying individuals to establish or maintain a settled home.
	Employment
	Fire safety on construction sites and on certain premises, including those concerned in the manufacture or storage of chemicals, explosives or flammable materials.
	Amendment to part 1 of the Scotland Act 1998
	Elections
	Power to make provision as to the conduct of elections for membership of the Scottish Parliament, and the questioning of such an election and the consequences of irregularities. Made by the Scotland Act 2012 and yet to be brought into force.

Supply Estimates

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change with reference to the detailed breakdown of Part II table changes from 2012-13 for his Department's main supply estimates for 2013-14 (a) what programmes are supported and (b) how much funding each such programme receives under subheading A, Save energy with the Green Deal and support vulnerable customers.

Gregory Barker: The programmes funded under subheading A, Save energy with the Green Deal and support vulnerable customers, together with the breakdown of expenditure shown in the 2013-14 Main Estimate, are shown in the following table:
	
		
			 £000 
			  Programme Name 2012-13 2013-14 
			 Resource Fuel Poverty 3,286 4,298 
			  Green Deal 35,300 24,831 
			  Heat Strategy, Policy and Delivery 3,799 9,001 
			  National Carbon Markets 1,500 1,500 
			  National Energy Efficiency. 5,137 4,623 
			  Collective Switching 5,203 0 
			  Smart Meters 21,145 16,595 
			 Capital Energy Efficiency Loan Repayments -36,000 -36,000 
			  Energy Efficiency Loans. 18,228 — 
			  Fuel Poverty 78,600 6,000 
			  Green Deal 28,445 170,000

Supply Estimates

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change with reference to the detailed breakdown of Part II table changes from 2012-13 for his Department's main supply estimates for 2013-14 (a) what programmes are supported and (b) how much funding each such programme receives under subheading B, Deliver secure funding on the way to tackle a low carbon economy future.

Gregory Barker: The programmes funded under subheading B, Deliver secure energy on the way to a low carbon energy future, together with the breakdown of expenditure shown in the 2013-14 Main Estimate, are shown in the following table:
	
		
			 £000 
			  Programme Name 2012-13 2013-14 
			 Resource Carbon Capture and Storage -6,459 8,821 
		
	
	
		
			  Science and Innovation 28,254 29,211 
			  Energy Strategy and Futures and Electricity Market Reform 0 11,285 
			  New Nuclear 8,283 307 
			  Oil and Gas 4,244 2,891 
			  Renewable Energy Deployment 12,346 16,290 
			 Capital Science and Innovation 48,275 75,345 
			  New Nuclear 0 2,000

Supply Estimates

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change with reference to the detailed breakdown of Part II table changes from 2012-13 for his Department's main supply estimates for 2013-14 (a) what programmes are supported and (b) how much funding each such programme receives under subheading C, Drive ambitions on climate change at home and abroad.

Gregory Barker: The programmes, funded under subheading C, Drive ambitious action on climate change at home and abroad, together with the breakdown of expenditure shown in the 2013-14 Main Estimate, are shown in the following table:
	
		
			 £000 
			  Programme Name 2012-13 2013-14 
			 Resource Drive ambitious action on climate change at home and abroad 1,890 1,225 
			  EU ETS and Tax 2,150 895 
			  International and EU Energy and Security 4,075 3,400 
			  International Climate Change 2,900 2,900 
			  International Climate Fund 25,000 0 
			 Capital International Climate Fund 190,000 400,000

Supply Estimates

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change with reference to the detailed breakdown of Part II table changes from 2012-13 for his Department's main supply estimates for 2013-14 (a) what programmes are supported and (b) how much funding each such programme receives under subheading D, Manage our energy legacy responsibly and cost-effectively.

Gregory Barker: The programmes funded under subheading D, Manage our energy legacy responsibly and cost-effectively, together with the breakdown of expenditure shown in the 2013-14 Main Estimate, are shown in the following table:
	
		
			 £000 
			  Programme Name 2012-13 2013-14 
			 Resource British Energy Liabilities 240,197 244,845 
			  Civil Nuclear Liabilities 2,172 3,111 
			  Coal Pensions 250 250 
			  Concessionary Fuel 55,404 51,588 
			  Global Threat Reduction Programme 6,512 3,439 
			  Non-Proliferation 27,197 23,672 
		
	
	
		
			  Nuclear Security 6,896 7,390 
			 Capital Global Threat Reduction Programme 6,600 5,025 
			  Nuclear Security 0 1,200

Supply Estimates

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change with reference to Part III: Note G of his Department's Main Estimates, 2013-14, what programmes are supported under E4-DEL, fuel drivers resilience.

Michael Fallon: Government are committed to working with business and regulators to reduce the likelihood of disruptions to energy and fuel supplies, and to ensure that contingency arrangements are in place to respond to emergencies when they do occur. The programme of work detailed under Part III: Note G of his Department's Main Estimates, 2013-14, under E4-DEL is part of the wider programme of work Government have in place to help support the downstream oil industry's contingency planning and details are provided on the DECC website at:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/meeting_energy/en_security/downstream_oil/improving/improving.aspx

Training

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many officials in (a) his Department and (b) the non-departmental public bodies for which he is responsible enrolled in publicly-funded training courses in each of the last five years; what the total cost has been of such courses; and what the monetary value was of the 10 highest training course fees in each such year.

Gregory Barker: The Department and the non-departmental public bodies do not record centrally the number of DECC officials who have enrolled on publicly-funded training courses. It is also not possible to determine the monetary value of the 10 highest training course fees in each year, without incurring disproportionate costs, due to the way the information is recorded and the need to disaggregate it from other items such as subscriptions to multiple training facilities accessible to all staff.
	Total expenditure of such courses undertaken by DECC officials in the last five years is available and shown in the following table for (a) core-DECC and (b) NDPBs.
	
		
			 £000 
			 Period Core-DECC NDPBs 
			 2008-09 413 1,593 
			 2009-10 518 1,352 
			 2010-11 999 838 
			 2011-12 2,126 858 
			 2012-13 1,346 1,087

Travel

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his Department's budget for ministerial travel for (a) the Government Car Service, (b) private hire vehicles, (c) taxis, (d) rail, (e) aviation and (f) other is for (i) 2013-14, (ii) 2014-15 and (iii) 2015-16.

Gregory Barker: Ministerial travel is paid for out of the overall budget for ministerial offices in DECC. A budget is set that makes provision for both Ministers and officials as there is normally a requirement for one or more officials to accompany Ministers on official departmental business.
	In the last financial year the DECC group from which ministerial offices were paid, spent less than its allocated budget. The indicative travel budget for the whole group (Ministers and officials) for 2013-14 is £229,000.
	The specific budgets for 2014-15 and for 2015-16 have not been set yet as this will be subject to departmental business planning.
	All travel is taken in accordance with the Ministerial Code.

Travel

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much his Department spent on ministerial travel by (a) Government Car Service, (b) private hire vehicles, (c) taxis, (d) rail, (e) aviation and (f) other means in each year of the current Parliament.

Gregory Barker: Departmental spend on the Government Car Service is published annually in a written ministerial statement given by the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, copies of which can be found in the Libraries of the House. Details of such costs for the current Parliament will be published in the normal way later this year.
	A summary of the information for DECC is as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
			 2009-10 303,129.83 
			 2010-11 131,272.97 
			 2011-12 36,687.79 
		
	
	Other car hire, taxi services:
	
		
			  £ 
			 2009-10 303.74 
			 2010-11 20,999.89 
			 2011-12 31,786.60 
			 2012-13 8,140.97 
		
	
	Details of ministerial rail travel is as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
			 2010-11 8,600 
			 2011-12 2,100 
			 2012-13 2,800 
		
	
	The details of overseas travel by Ministers are published quarterly, and can be found on
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications?departments%5B%5D=department-of-energy-climate-change&publication_type-transparency-data
	All travel is taken in accordance with the Ministerial Code.

Wind Power: Dagenham

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the success of the Dagenham wind turbines in providing cost-effective energy for the local area.

Michael Fallon: We have made no specific assessment of the Dagenham wind turbines.

Wind Power: Dagenham

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many (a) homes and (b) commercial premises are served by the Dagenham wind turbines.

Michael Fallon: The Dagenham wind turbines power the Ford Dagenham Diesel Centre.

CABINET OFFICE

Big Society Foundation

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  what contracts his Department held with the Big Society Foundation in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13; and what contracts his Department currently holds with that organisation;
	(2)  how much funding his Department allocated to the Big Society Foundation in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13; and how much he expects to allocate in 2013-14.

Nick Hurd: The Big Society Foundation is a subsidiary of Big Society Capital (BSC). The Government have never had any funding allocated to, or contracts with, the Big Society Foundation.

Big Society Network

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  how much funding his Department allocated to the Big Society Network in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13; and how much he expects to allocate in 2013-14;
	(2)  what contracts his Department held with the Big Society Network in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13; and what contracts his Department currently holds with that organisation.

Nick Hurd: In 2010-11 the Cabinet Office did not pay any grant to the Big Society Network (BSN). In 2011-12, £199,900 was paid in grant funding to BSN. The following year £350,000 was paid to BSN. For 2013-14 no payments have been allocated to BSN.
	In addition to grant funding, a contract for £12,000 of services was awarded in 2012-13.
	In the current financial year the Cabinet Office has awarded grant funding of £150,000 to the Society Network Foundation which is the charitable arm of the Big Society Network.

British Nationals Abroad: Caribbean

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many British citizens have visited the Caribbean in each of the last seven years.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated May 2013
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to respond to your Parliamentary Question to the Minister for the Cabinet Office asking how many British citizens have visited the Caribbean in each of the last seven years [157047].
	I am able to report estimated visits to the Caribbean made by UK citizens or nationals who are resident in the UK. Estimates are derived from the International Passenger Survey and are provided separately from 2006 to 2012.
	A 'visit to the Caribbean' is a trip abroad by a UK national residing in the UK, during which a Caribbean country is the main country of visit. Anyone travelling to the Caribbean on a cruise will be recorded as having gone on a 'fly cruise' rather than visited the Caribbean. Fly cruises are therefore excluded from the figures.
	
		
			 Table 1: Number of visits by UK nationals to the Caribbean in the last seven years 
			  Number (thousand) 
			 2006 977 
			 2007 977 
			 2008 886 
			 2009 845 
			 2010 821 
			 2011 811 
			 2012 723 
			 Source: International Passenger Survey

Business Advisory Group

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office on what dates the Prime Minister's Business Advisory Group has met since May 2010.

Nick Hurd: Details of ministerial meetings with external organisations, including meetings with newspaper and other media proprietors, editors and senior executives are published on a quarterly basis. Details can be accessed on the Cabinet Office website.

Conditions of Employment

Stephen Timms: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Bassetlaw of 13 May 2013, Official Report, columns 72-3W, on conditions of employment, what recent estimate he has made of the number of people employed on zero-hour contracts in the UK.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated May 2013
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Bassetlaw of 13 May 2013, Official Report, columns 72-3W, on conditions of employment, what recent estimate he has made of the number of people employed on zero-hour contracts in the UK. 157011
	Estimates regarding people working on zero-hours contracts are available from the Labour Force Survey (LFS). A zero-hours contract is defined as a contract of employment which does not specify a fixed number of hours per week and has no guaranteed minimum number of hours.
	It is estimated that for the most recent period available, October to December 2012, there were 200,000 people aged 16 and over in employment who reported that they were on a zero-hours contract in the UK. This is 0.7 per cent of the total employment in the UK.
	As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty. It is estimated that the true value is likely to lie between 174,000 and 226,000. In addition, there is likely to be a degree of reporting error in these estimates as individuals may fail to identify their type of employment contract.

Departmental Co-ordination

Frank Field: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many inter-departmental ministerial groups have operated in the last three years; which Departments were involved in such groups; how many meetings each group held; and which Ministers attended each meeting of each group.

Francis Maude: In line with the practice of previous Administrations, details of internal meetings are not normally disclosed,

Employment: Lancashire

Paul Maynard: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the net change in the number of private sector jobs was in (a) Blackpool North and Cleveleys constituency and (b) Lancashire in the latest period for which figures are available.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated May 2013
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the net change in the number of private sector jobs was in (a) Blackpool North and Cleveleys constituency and (b) Lancashire in the latest period for which figures are available. (157371)
	Information regarding the number of private sector jobs for parliamentary constituencies is not available. As an alternative, estimates relating to the number of people employed in the private sector have been provided. Employment statistics for local areas are calculated from the Annual Population Survey (APS).
	Individuals in the APS are classified to the public or private sector according to their responses to the survey. In the APS the distinction between public and private sector is based on respondents’ views about the organisation for which they work. The private sector estimates provided do not correspond to those derived as part of the calculation of the official Public Sector Employment estimates. These are based on a National Accounts’ definition, are generally lower and are not available for areas smaller then regions.
	The table shows the number and net change of people employed in the private sector in Blackpool North and Cleveleys constituency and Lancashire. Figures have been provided for both Lancashire County Council and the area covered by the Lancashire Local Enterprise Partnership, which additionally covers the Blackpool and Blackburn and Darwen Unity Authorities These estimates are compiled from APS interviews held during the period January 2012 to December 2012, the latest period available, and the 12 month period ending in December 2011.
	As with any sample survey, estimates from the APS are subject to a margin of uncertainty. A guide to the quality of the estimates is given in the table.
	National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at:
	http://www.nomisweb.co.uk
	
		
			 Table 1: Net change in the number of people employed in the private sector(1) in Blackpool North and Cleveleys parliamentary constituency and Lancashire 
			 Thousand 
			  Private sector jobs 
			  Blackpool North and Cleveleys Lancashire county council Lancashire local enterprise partnership 
			 12 months ending:    
			 December 2011 22 407 489 
			 December 2012(2) ***27 *390 *473 
			     
			 Net change 5 -17 -16 
			 (1) Individuals in the APS are classified to the public or private sector according to their responses to the survey. (2) Coefficients of Variation have been calculated for the latest period as an indication of the quality of the estimates, as described below: Guide to Quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of an estimate, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV—for example, for an estimate of 200 with a CV of 5% we would expect the population total to be within the range 180-220. Key: * 0 ≤ CV<5%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered precise ** 5 ≤= CV <10%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered reasonably precise *** 10 ≤= CV <20%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered acceptable **** CV ≥= 20%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered too unreliable for practical purposes CV = Coefficient of Variation Source: Annual Population Survey.

Government Departments: Procurement

Andy Sawford: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps his Department takes to ensure that checks are made in Government procurement processes so that no contractors or providers practise blacklisting of workers.

Chloe Smith: Public sector procurers are required to comply with principles of openness, transparency and non-discrimination, including from EU treaties, when awarding public contracts.
	The Government expect companies not to break either data protection law, trade union law or the Blacklists Regulations when planning or undertaking work for the public sector.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office on what date the Major Projects Authority report into High Speed Rail 2 will be published.

Chloe Smith: The Major Projects Authority's first annual report has been published and is available here:
	http://engage.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/major-projects-authority

Legal Costs

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  what the highest day rate paid for external legal advice by his Department was since 7 May 2010;
	(2)  what the 20 highest amounts paid for external legal advice by his Department were in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012; to whom they were paid; and for what reasons the legal advice was sought in each case.

Francis Maude: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave on 20 May 2013, Official Report, column 474W.

Married People

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many and what proportion of people in the white British ethnic group were married in each of the last 30 years.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated May 2013
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to respond to your question as to how many and what proportion of people in the white British ethnic group were married in each of the last 30 years. (156972)
	The number and marital status of the White British population in England and Wales can be estimated using the Labour Force Survey. Estimates are only available for 1996 to 2012 using this source. Figures for 1996 to 2000 are for the White (rather than White British) population as estimates for White British are not available for these years.
	As with any sample survey, estimates from the Labour Force Survey are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
	
		
			 Number and percentage of people aged 16 or over in the white British ethnic group who are married, England and Wales, 1996 to 2012 
			  Number married (Million) Percentage married 
			 1996(1) 22.1 58.3 
			 1997(1) 22.0 58.0 
			 1998(1) 21.8 57.5 
			 1999(1) 21.7 56.9 
			 2000(1) 21.6 56.6 
			 2001 20.3 56.3 
			 2002 20.0 55.6 
			 2003 19.7 55.5 
			 2004 19.5 54.8 
			 2005 19.4 54.6 
			 2006 19.1 54.1 
			 2007 18.8 53.7 
		
	
	
		
			 2008 18.7 53.1 
			 2009 18.5 52.6 
			 2010 18.6 52.5 
			 2011 18.2 51.8 
			 2012 18.4 51.5 
			 (1) Figures for 1996 to 2000 are for the white (rather than white British) population.

Married People

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many married families living with dependent children (a) under three years old, (b) under six years old and (c) of any age there were in each of the last 30 years.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated May 2013
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to respond to your question asking the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many married families living with dependent children (a) under three years old, (b) under six years old and (c) of any age there were in each of the last 30 years. (156973)
	The number of married couple families in the UK can be estimated using the Labour Force Survey. Estimates are provided for married couple families with at least one dependent child in the age group. Dependent children are those living with their parent(s) and either (a) aged under 16, or (b) aged 16 to 18 in full-time education, excluding children aged 16 to 18 who have a spouse, partner or child living in the household. Estimates are only available for 1996 to 2012 using this source.
	It should be noted in the table that the estimates in column b (families with at least one child aged under six) include the estimates in column a (families with at least one child aged under three) so the two columns should not be added together.
	As with any sample survey, estimates from the Labour Force Survey are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
	
		
			 Married couple families with dependent children in the UK, 1996 to 2012 
			  Married couple families with dependent children (million) 
			  (a) Under three years (b) Under six years (c) Of any age 
			 1996 1.2 2.0 5.2 
			 1997 1.2 1.9 5.1 
			 1998 1.1 1.9 5.0 
			 1999 1.1 1.8 4.9 
			 2000 1.1 1.8 4.9 
			 2001 1.0 1.7 4.8 
			 2002 1.0 1.8 4.8 
			 2003 1.0 1.7 4.7 
			 2004 1.0 1.7 4.7 
			 2005 1.0 1.7 4.7 
			 2006 1.0 1.7 4.7 
			 2007 1.0 1.7 4.7 
			 2008 1.1 1.7 4.6 
			 2009 1.1 1.8 4.7 
			 2010 1.1 1.8 4.6 
			 2011 1.1 1.8 4.6 
			 2012 1.2 2.1 4.6

Mortality Rates: Children

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the infant mortality rate was in each (a) local authority area, (b) health authority area and (c) constituency in each of the last 30 years.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated May 2013
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking the Secretary of State for Health, what the infant mortality rate was in each (a) local authority area, (b) health authority and (c) constituency in each of the last 30 years.
	Due to the sensitive nature of infant deaths and the risk of identifying individuals, ONS does not publish infant mortality figures for individual parliamentary constituencies. Consequently, figures for constituency cannot be provided.
	Table 1 provides the infant mortality rates and confidence intervals by local authority area, for deaths registered in England and Wales between 2002 and 2011 (the latest year available).
	Table 2 provides the infant mortality rates and confidence intervals by Primary Care Trust, for deaths registered in England and Wales between 2002 and 2011 (the latest year available). Figures have been provided for the last 10 years rather than the last 30 years, as these statistics were not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
	Figures for infant mortality in England and Wales are published annually on the ONS website:
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/vsob1/child-mortality-statistics--childhood--infant-and-perinatal/index.html
	A copy of the tables will be stored in the Library of the House.

Pay

Dominic Raab: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many employees in his Department were paid in excess of (a) £80,000 and (b) £100,000 in (i) 2012 and (ii) 2013.

Francis Maude: The following table shows the number of staff in my Department that were paid (a) between £80,000 and £100,000 per year and (b) in excess of £100,000 per year, in April 2012 and April 2013. It is worth noting that despite significant machinery of Government changes, which have expanded the work which my Department undertakes, there are considerably fewer staff paid at these levels than in April 2009, before the last general election.
	
		
			 Number 
			 As at April each year: £80,000 to £100,000 More than £100,000 
			 2013 56 45 
			 2012 53 44

Polling Stations: Schools

Mark Spencer: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what guidance his Department issues to local returning officers on the use of schools as polling stations.

Chloe Smith: While my Department decides the policy and drafts legislation for statutory polls, it is for the Electoral Commission to issue guidance. The law provides that returning officers may designate schools, together with other buildings such as council premises, halls and other public service or private sector community venues as polling stations, and the Commission includes advice on selecting polling stations in its guidance for returning officers at local and other polls.

Public Sector: Business Interests

Douglas Carswell: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  when he plans to respond to the Public Administration Select Committee's report on Business Appointment Rules, Session 2012-13, HC 404;
	(2)  whether he is considering the introduction of statutory regulation of the business appointment rules;
	(3)  whether he is considering the appointment of a conflict of interest and ethics commissioner to oversee the business appointment rules;
	(4)  with reference to the conclusions of the report by the Public Accounts Select Committee entitled, Business Appointment Rules, Session 2012-13, HC 404, whether he plans to abolish the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments and replace it with a more powerful organisation;
	(5)  whether he plans to introduce more stringent oversight of moves between the Civil Service and the private sector;
	(6)  if he will bring forward legislative proposals to prevent companies from buying up the accumulated knowledge of experienced civil servants.

Francis Maude: The Government are considering the recommendations of the Public Administration Select Committee in its report on the Business Appointment Rules, Session 2012-13, HC 404. The Government are looking at the Rules in the light of a number of the recommendations put forward by the Committee, and will respond as soon as possible.

Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office when he will publish guidance to local authorities on the implementation of the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Hurd: The Cabinet Office has published a detailed guidance document to help commissioners and procurers, including local authorities, understand how they can implement the Act. It can be found on the Cabinet Office website.

Skin Cancer

Philip Davies: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate his Department has made of the number of people who have died from skin cancer in each of the last five years; and if he will estimate the number of those diagnosed that were related to over-exposure to the sun.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated May 2013
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking for the number of people who have died from skin cancer in each of the last five years and the number of those diagnosed that were related to over-exposure to the sun. (156779)
	Table 1 below provides the number of deaths where skin cancer was the underlying cause, in England and Wales, for the years 2007 to 2011 (the latest year available).
	The number of deaths registered in England and Wales each year by sex, age and underlying cause (including cancer), are published annually on the ONS website at:
	www.ons.gov.uk/ons/publications/all-releases.html?definition=tcm%3A77-27475
	The numbers of cancers diagnosed in England each year, by sex, age and cancer type, are published annually on the ONS website at:
	www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/vsob1/cancer-statistics-registrations--england--series-mb1-/index.html
	It is not possible to determine if a skin cancer was related directly to over exposure to the sun solely from the information collected as part of the death registration or cancer registration process.
	
		
			 Table 1: Number of deaths where the underlying cause was skin cancer, deaths registered between 2007 and 2011, England and Wales(1, 2, 3) 
			  Number 
			 2007 2,313 
			 2008 2,264 
			 2009 2,325 
			 2010 2,428 
			 2011 2,486 
			 (1 )Skin cancer was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes C43 and C44. (2) Figures for England and Wales include deaths of non-residents. (3) Figures are based on deaths registered, rather than deaths occurring in the years 2007-11. Further information on registration delays for a range of causes can be found on the ONS website: Source: Office for National Statistics.

Social Action Fund

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many applicants there were for the Social Action Fund; and whether any applicants successfully obtained funding despite not meeting the (a) published criteria and (b) deadline for applications.

Nick Hurd: The Cabinet Office received 1,412 applications for the Social Action Fund.
	Cabinet Office and Social Investment Business (SIB) agreed to expand one of the criterion for the Social Action Fund following comments that it was too narrow for newly formed organisations.
	SIB who manage the fund are satisfied that all organisations that went on to be funded met the deadline for applications.

Thromboembolism: East of England

Bob Russell: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people died from venous thromboembolism in each hospital trust area in the East of England in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated May 2013
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking the Secretary of State for Health how many people died from venous thromboembolism in each hospital trust area in the East of England in each of the last five years for which figures are available [156969].
	Death from venous thromboembolism usually occurs as a result of pulmonary embolism. Table 1 therefore provides the number of deaths where either pulmonary embolism or deep vein thrombosis was the underlying cause of death, in the East of England region, for deaths registered between 2007 and 2011 (the latest year available).
	Venous thromboembolism may occur as a complication of other conditions such as cancer. In such cases the other condition may be specified as the underlying cause of death and venous thromboembolism shown elsewhere on the certificate. Table 2 provides the number of deaths where pulmonary embolism and/or deep vein thrombosis were mentioned anywhere on the death certificate, either as the underlying cause or as a contributory factor.
	It is not possible to provide the number of deaths from venous thromboembolism in each hospital trust area in the East of England as the information collected at death registration does not distinguish between the organisations managerially responsible for the patient's care. Although the name and address of the hospital where the death occurred is recorded at registration, the services provide at a single hospital site may be managed by several NHS Trusts or private contractors.
	
		
			 Table 1: Number of deaths where the underlying cause of death was venous thromboembolism, East of England, deaths registered between 2007 and 2011(1,2,3) 
			 Registration year Deaths 
			 2007 730 
			 2008 741 
			 2009 757 
			 2010 734 
			 2011 547 
			 (1) Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes I80.1-I80.3, I80.9, I82.9, I26.0, I26.9: definitions of each of these causes are shown in Box 1. Deaths were included where one of the causes shown in Box 1 was the underlying cause of death. (2) Figures are based on boundaries correct as at February 2013 and exclude deaths of non-residents. (3) Figures are based on deaths registered, rather than deaths occurring in the years 2007-2011. Further information on registration delays for a range of causes can be found on the ONS website: www.ons.gov.uk/ons/guide-method/user-guidance/health-and-life-events/impact-of-registration-delays-on-mortality-statistics/index.html 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2: Number of deaths where venous thromboembolism was mentioned on the death certificate, East of England, deaths registered between 2007 and 2011(1,2,3) 
			 Registration year Deaths 
			 2007 1,378 
			 2008 1,331 
			 2009 1,405 
			 2010 1,436 
			 2011 1,382 
			 (1) Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases. Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes I80.1-I80.3, I80.9, I82.9, I26.0, I26.9, definitions of each of these causes are shown in Box 1. Deaths were included where one or more of the causes shown in Box I were mentioned anywhere on the death certificate, either as the underlying cause or as a contributory factor. (2) Figures are based on boundaries correct as at February 2013 and exclude deaths of non-residents. (3 )Figures are based on deaths registered, rather than deaths occurring in the years 2007-2011. Further information on registration delays for a range of causes can be found on the ONS website: www.ons.gov.uk/ons/guide-method/user-guidance/health-and-life-events/impact-of-registration-delays-on-mortality-statistics/index.html 
		
	
	
		
			 Box 1: International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes used to define venous thromboembolism 
			 ICD code Cause 
			 I80.0 Phlebitis and thrombophlebitis of superficial vessels of lower extremities 
			 I80.1 Phlebitis and thrombophlebitis of femoral vein 
			 I80.2 Phlebitis and thrombophlebitis of other deep vessels of lower extremities 
			 I80.3 Phlebitis and thrombophlebitis of lower extremities, unspecified 
			 I80:9 Phlebitis and thrombophlebitis of unspecified site 
			 I89.9 Noninfective disorder of lymphatic vessels and lymph nodes, unspecified 
			 I26 Pulmonary embolism with mention of acute cor pulmonale 
			 I26.9 Pulmonary embolism without mention of acute cor pulmonale

Travel

Maria Eagle: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  how much his Department spent on ministerial travel by (a) Government Car Service, (b) private hire vehicles, (c) taxis, (d) rail, (e) aviation and (f) other means in each year of the current Parliament;
	(2)  what his Department's budget for ministerial travel for (a) the Government Car Service, (b) private hire vehicles, (c) taxis, (d) rail, (e) aviation and (f) other is for (i) 2013-14, (ii) 2014-15 and (iii) 2015-16.

Francis Maude: This Government have slashed the cost to the taxpayer of Government cars compared with the costs before the last general election.
	For details of how much my Department has spent on the Government Car Service, I refer the hon. Member to the information published in the annual written ministerial statement:
	2009/10
	http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201011/cmhansrd/cm101028/wmstext/101028m0001.htm#10102827000372
	2010/11
	http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201212/cmhansrd/cm120116/wmstext/120116m0001.htm#12011611000194
	2011/12
	http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmhansrd/cm121220/wmstext/121220m0001.htm#12122056000216
	Details of the costs for the Government Car Service for 2012-13 will be published in the normal way later this year.
	Records of other travel by my Department are categorised alongside other spend and are not held centrally. As was the case under previous Administrations, the use of taxis in the Cabinet Office is only permitted in line with strict departmental guidance.
	The Cabinet Office publishes, on a quarterly basis, details of Cabinet Office Ministers' overseas travel.

Unemployment: Young People

Susan Elan Jones: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people aged 25 years old and under have been unemployed in the last five years.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated May 2013
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people aged 25 years old and under have been unemployed in the last five years. 156968
	Estimates of unemployment are derived from the Labour Force Survey (LFS). The table following shows the estimated number of people aged from 16 to 25 inclusive who were unemployed during the January to March period in each of the last 5 years. Estimates are not seasonally adjusted.
	
		
			 January to March, each year 
			  Unemployed aged 16 to 25 
			  Level (thousand) Rate (percentage)(1) 
			 2009 887 16.5 
			 2010 966 18.4 
			 2011 959 18.3 
			 2012 1,037 19.9 
			 2013 988 18.9 
			 (1) Unemployment level as a proportion of those economically active. Source: Labour Force Survey 
		
	
	Official estimates of youth unemployment measure people aged from 16 and 24 inclusive. These are available seasonally adjusted and are published monthly in the Labour Market Statistical Bulletin (Table A06), via the following link:
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/lms/labour-market-statistics/may-2013/table-a06.xls

Universal Credit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office when he expects the new project assessment review for the universal credit programme will take place.

Francis Maude: The next project assessment review for universal credit will take place during June 2013.

CHURCH COMMISSIONERS

Legal Costs

Sadiq Khan: To ask the hon. Member for Banbury, representing the Church Commissioners, what the highest day rate was paid for external legal advice by the Church Commissioners since 7 May 2010.

Tony Baldry: The Church Commissioners do not hold an itemised record of day rates paid for external legal advice. Identification of this information would require a manual trawl of a very large number of files for the relevant period and the information could be obtained only at a disproportionate cost.

Legal Costs

Sadiq Khan: To ask the hon. Member for Banbury, representing the Church Commissioners, how much the Church Commissioners spent on external legal advice (a) between 7 May 2010 and 4 September 2012 and (b) since 4 September 2012.

Tony Baldry: The Church Commissioners spent a total of £9,193,363 on external legal advice between 7 May 2010 and 4 September 2012, and have spent a further £2,848,769 since 4 September 2012. Those figures should be seen in the context of a fund valued at £5.5 billion which includes real estate valued at over £1.8 billion. They include costs incurred in connection with conveyancing and other property-related matters, litigation (including property litigation to protect significant assets) and specialist advice on historic assets and chancel repair liabilities, together with costs incurred in the exercise of the Commissioners’ power to pay legal costs incurred by diocesan bishops.

Legal Costs

Sadiq Khan: To ask the hon. Member for Banbury, representing the Church Commissioners, how much the Church Commissioners spent on external legal advice from Queen's Counsel (a) between 7 May 2010 and 4 September 2012 and (b) since 4 September 2012.

Tony Baldry: The Church Commissioners do not keep itemised records relating to advice from Queen's Counsel and estimate that to gather the information would incur disproportionate costs.

Legal Costs

Sadiq Khan: To ask the hon. Member for Banbury, representing the Church Commissioners, what the 20 highest amounts paid for external legal advice by the Church Commissioners were in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012; to whom they were paid; and for what reasons the legal advice was sought.

Tony Baldry: The Church Commissioners are unable to detail the amounts paid, to whom payment was made and for what reason the advice was sought as gathering this information would give rise to disproportionate costs.

TRANSPORT

Biofuels

Fiona O'Donnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the Government is taking steps to ensure that EU negotiations on amending the Renewable Energy Directive secure a transition towards more sustainable bio fuels.

Norman Baker: The European Commission brought forward a proposed Directive in October 2012 to address the issue of Indirect Land Use Change (ILUC) of which a proposed five per cent cap is part. The Department for Transport is actively engaged in negotiation in the Council and European Parliament on the Commission's proposed amendments.
	The Government believes that ILUC should be addressed urgently and considers the introduction of "ILUC factors" to be the most appropriate solution. ILUC factors would prevent feedstocks which have the worst indirect impacts on land use from meeting mandatory sustainability criteria in the Renewable Energy Directive. We are also of the view that additional incentives should be provided for 'advanced' biofuels from non land using feedstocks and wastes.

BRB: Residuary

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on what date BRB (Residual) Ltd will be wound up; and whether its functions, properties, rights and liabilities have been transferred to other bodies.

Simon Burns: The draft order to abolish BRB (Residuary) Ltd (BRBR) was laid in Parliament on 15 May. Subject to the parliamentary process, BRBR is expected to be abolished on 30 September 2013 with the functions, properties, rights and liabilities transferred to other bodies at that time.

Bus Services: Concessions

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what consideration his Department has given to introducing a national discount scheme for bus fares for young people;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the recommendations of the Youth Select Committee report on Transport and Young People for (a) the age at which young people start paying full fares to be set at 18 for all transport operators in England and (b) the introduction of a national concessionary scheme to provide a discounted bus travel card.

Norman Baker: The Government has no plans to introduce a statutory bus travel concession for young people. Legislation provides for local authorities to offer concessionary travel to young people at their discretion and many bus operators offer some form of discounted fare for young people on a commercial basis.
	However, I think that a simpler fare structure would help—and in some areas bus operators could be doing more to offer discounted fares to young people. Cheaper fares could make buses the mode of choice at an early age, locking in patronage for the future and helping to reduce car travel. That is why, at the Bus Partnership Forum in January, I asked the bus industry to consider offering travel discounts to all those aged 18 and under—and not just to those in education.
	Also in January the Government responded to the British Youth Council following the Youth Select Committee's report ‘Transport and Young People’. The response is published on the British Youth Council's website at the following link:
	http://www.byc.org.uk/media/200769/130128_-_conclusions_and_recommendations_-_final.pdf

Bus Services: Concessions

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received from (a) individuals and (b) organisations on proposals for a national youth transport card to offer young people discounted bus fares in England and Wales.

Norman Baker: Ministers at the Department for Transport have received around 60 letters from individuals, whether directly or through their constituency MP, from January 2012 to date, regarding young people's travel, including a campaign by the UK Youth Parliament for a national travel concession for young people.
	I have had discussions on the subject of young people's travel with organisations including the British Youth Council, the Confederation of Passenger Transport UK, the Campaign for Better Transport, the UK Youth Parliament, The Work Foundation, bus companies and local transport authorities.
	Concessionary travel is a devolved policy area so the arrangements in Wales are a matter for the National Assembly for Wales.

Cherished Number Plates

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many personal plate transfers were completed in 2010; what the length of time taken for the majority of transfers to be completed was; what the average time for the completions was; and whether Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency has a target time for personal number plate transfers.

Stephen Hammond: In 2010 291,298 personal plate transfers were completed. 98.93% were completed within an average of five working days against the published target of 95% in seven working days.

Conditions of Employment

Pamela Nash: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many officials in his Department are employed on zero-hour contracts.

Norman Baker: There are 9 officials employed in the Department for Transport on zero-hour contracts. All are qualified type approval engineers.

East Coast Railway Line

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether (a) National Express and (b) National Express subsidiaries are permitted to submit bids to run passenger rail services on the East Coast Main Line.

Simon Burns: National Express and its subsidiaries are permitted to submit for the pre-qualification process (PQQ) to run passenger rail services in all franchise competitions including the East Coast Main Line. If they are successful in the PQQ they will then, like all companies, be permitted to submit bids for those franchises.

East Coast Railway Line

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the total public subsidy was to National Express for the East Coast main line passenger rail franchise for each year that the company held that contract.

Simon Burns: The National Express East Coast (NXEC) contract commenced 9 December 2007 and ended 13 November 2009. No subsidy was paid to NXEC under this contract.

East-West Rail Link

Andrew Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the benefit-cost ratio was in the business case for building the new rail line between Oxford and Bedford via Aylesbury and Milton Keynes.

Simon Burns: The promoters of the original scheme, the East West Rail Consortium, calculated the benefit-cost ratio to be 6.3 to 1 if expected economic growth was realised and over 11 to 1 if a 15% contribution was made towards the capital cost by the consortium, as has been committed. The benefit-costs ratios are currently being refreshed by Network Rail as the rail line will now also be part of the new ‘Electric Spine’ strategic route between the South Coast, the East Midlands and Yorkshire.

Ferries

Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many UK-flagged ferries operate in UK waters.

Stephen Hammond: 159 UK registered ferries operate exclusively from UK ports. A further 23 UK registered ferries operate internationally from UK ports.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent assessment he has made of the likely effects of High Speed 2 on fares on other railway lines.

Simon Burns: No assumptions have been made about the likely effects of HS2 on classic fares. The Economic Case for HS2 assumes that high speed fares are comparable to classic fares. The Department, working closely with HS2 Ltd, is considering the potential benefits that could be secured from more sophisticated pricing policies across both the HS2 and classic networks.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent assessment he has made of the potential effects of High Speed 2 on investment in areas near the line but not at the nodes.

Simon Burns: The draft environmental statement published on 16 May 2013 includes an assessment of the socio-economic effects of the proposed High Speed 2 scheme. As part of this, the employment opportunities created by new business opportunities are considered at a route-wide and sub-regional level.
	In addition, HS2 Limited is providing advice to the Department on the development and investment potential relating to proposed station sites. How HS2 impacts on investment in areas away from stations and depots but near to the line is very difficult to judge and will be highly specific to local circumstances. The Department is working with local partners to understand this better and to ensure that opportunities are fully explored.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to ensure that in all cases where the price of a house is adversely affected by High Speed 2 the household concerned is adequately compensated.

Simon Burns: For Phase One, we currently have an Exceptional Hardship Scheme. This is an interim scheme, currently available to property owners who have an urgent need to sell but have not been able to, except at a substantially reduced price, as a direct result of the announcement of the route.
	Property owners who apply and meet the eligibility criteria can have their property purchased by the Government at its unaffected realistic open market value (the value the property would have had in the current housing market, if the High Speed Rail route had not been announced). The scheme's criteria are available at:
	http://www.hs2.org.uk/sites/default/files/inserts/130402%20HS2%20Exceptional%20Hardship%20Scheme%20 Application%20Form%20WEB.pdf
	We have proposed that this interim scheme is succeeded by longer term arrangements for discretionary schemes to help people along the Phase One route. We will reconsult later this year on our proposals for those longer term arrangements.
	We consulted on our proposals to issue Safeguarding Directions for areas along the line of the Phase One route. That means that any planning applications within the safeguarded area must be referred to HS2 Ltd as part of the decision making process. Importantly, safeguarding also means that those within the safeguarded area can serve the Government with a "blight notice", asking the Government to buy their home for its unblighted value, plus 10% up to £47,000, and reasonable moving costs.
	For Phase Two, we have also proposed to introduce an interim Exceptional Hardship Scheme. Consultation on those proposals closed on 20 May 2013. The consultation document can be found at:
	http://www.hs2.org.uk/have-your-say/consultations/phase-two/exceptional-hardship-scheme
	We propose to replace the Phase Two EHS with longer term compensation arrangements when route planning is sufficiently advanced.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Dan Byles: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the minimum acceptable distance between the High Speed 2 rail line and a school.

Simon Burns: A minimum acceptable distance between the High Speed 2 rail line and a school has not been assessed. However, we are aware of the potential adverse effects a railway can have on a school, especially noise. Suitable noise mitigation measures will be incorporated for schools located close to the HS2 line as has been the case with HS1.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Dan Byles: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will estimate the cost to the economy of all jobs and businesses directly and indirectly lost as a result of the construction of High Speed 2.

Simon Burns: No assessment has been made of the cost to the economy of all jobs and businesses directly and indirectly lost as a result of the construction of High Speed 2.
	However, HS2 Ltd estimates suggest that overall the construction of HS2 will support more than 100,000 jobs. The economic appraisal estimates that HS2 will deliver net positive benefits to business of £50 billion.
	Where businesses are impacted by HS2, HS2 Ltd have and will continue to work with them to understand how best to mitigate their concerns.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what discussions (a) he and (b) his officials had with Network Rail about the study of the potential capacity benefits for the existing rail network arising from High Speed 2;
	(2)  what progress he has made towards developing a strategy for maximising the potential benefits of released capacity arising from High Speed 2.

Simon Burns: The Department has regular discussions with Network Rail, including in relation to their study into potential opportunities for the existing rail network when HS2 phase 2 is operational. The results of this study are intended to be published alongside the public consultation on HS2 phase 2 later this year. This work follows on from the study published by Network Rail and Passenger Focus in January 2012 in relation to released capacity from HS2 phase 1 and will include consultation with local, regional and industry stakeholders.

ICT

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) computers, (b) mobile telephones, (c) BlackBerrys and (d) other pieces of IT equipment were lost or stolen from his Department in (i) 2010-11, (ii) 2011-12 and (iii) 2012-13; and if he will make a statement.

Norman Baker: The figures provided below are for the IT equipment recorded as lost or stolen in the financial years for 2010-11, 2011-12 and 2012-13; and are for the Department for Transport, its six Executive Agencies and shared service centre.
	
		
			 2010-11 
			 Item Lost Stolen 
			 Computers 4 16 
			 Mobiles 14 3 
			 Blackberrys 14 7 
			 Other IT Equipment 47 6 
			 Total 79 32 
		
	
	
		
			 2011-12 
			 Item Lost Stolen 
			 Computers 5 11 
			 Mobiles 11 1 
			 Blackberrys 19 3 
			 Other IT Equipment 53 13 
			 Total 88 28 
		
	
	
		
			 2012-13 
			 Item Lost Stolen 
			 Computers 3 8 
			 Mobiles 13 3 
			 Blackberrys 25 3 
			 Other IT Equipment 52 2 
			 Total 93 16 
		
	
	My answer given to the Hon Member on 11 December 2012 [Official Report, columns 189-190W] which asked about lost or stolen items in 2010-11 and 2011-12 showed slightly different figures. Subsequent information held by the Department centrally has required corrections as further information has been received, including further information from third party suppliers and subcontractors and those reporting items lost or stolen. The tables above show the latest available figures. Some losses may not be identified immediately and some losses might be reported in haste with equipment later found or recovered. If this information had been available at the time, it would have been included in the answer to last year's Parliamentary Question (PQ).
	For information, the figures provided in the response to the previous related PQ are as follows.
	
		
			 2010-11 
			 Item Lost Stolen 
			 Computers 4 16 
			 Mobiles 14 3 
			 Blackberrys 16 8 
			 Other IT Equipment 44 8 
			 Total 78 35 
		
	
	
		
			 2011-12 
			 Item Lost Stolen 
			 Computers 2 7 
			 Mobiles 9 1 
			 Blackberrys 18 2 
			 Other IT Equipment 51 12 
			 Total 80 22 
		
	
	Since last year, a rise in the number of loses (from 88 to 93) has been offset by a reduction in thefts (from 28 to 16), resulting in a net reduction in the total number of IT items lost or stolen. Procedures and advice to staff and suppliers are reviewed periodically to improve the timeliness and accuracy of our information and to attempt to reduce losses further.

Mobility Scooters

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress his Department has made on its consultations on mobility scooter safety.

Norman Baker: Further to my written ministerial statement of 1 March 2012, Official Report, column 44WS, officials have developed with interested parties a standard assessment form to assist suppliers to assess users so that they get the right vehicle to meet their needs, and a vision testing protocol, developed with the Federation of Ophthalmic and Dispensing Opticians, to assess users' eyesight standards to help ensure greater safety.
	The Department is revising the unladen weight of powered wheelchairs to allow more medical equipment to help people with acute clinical needs.
	The Department has also commissioned the development of a comprehensive database of mobility scooter models that are suitable for carriage on public transport.

London Midland

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment his Department has made of London Midland's recent performance.

Norman Baker: London Midland's performance for the most recent rail period represents its best for several months, with a PPM figure of 90.3%. However, the Department continues to monitor all aspects of the franchise closely to ensure that London Midland delivers the package of passenger benefits and service improvements announced by the Secretary of State for Transport to the House on 20 December 2012, Official Report, columns 128-30WS.
	I have personally met with the managing director of the company to address performance issues and expect to do so again shortly. Though there are some encouraging signs of improved punctuality, the franchisee has much more to do to, including handling a significant backlog of correspondence from passengers affected by the disruption last year.

London, Tilbury and Southend Railway Line

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the estimated level of (a) public subsidy, (b) premium payments and (c) revenue support will be during the contract extension to September 2014 agreed between his Department and c2c Rail Ltd for rail passenger services on the Essex Thameside line. [Official Report, 25 June 2013, Vol. 565, c. 3-4MC.]

Simon Burns: Contracted subsidy for the interim franchise agreement is about £2.4 million. A profit share mechanism in place, which will capture any outperformance in revenue, thereby lowering subsidy requirement. Subsidy and premium payments are published regularly on the Office of Rail Regulation website.

London, Tilbury and Southend Railway Line

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether his Department received assurances during negotiations for a contract extension on the Essex Thameside line for rail passenger services with c2c Rail Ltd that the train operating company would abide by existing collective bargaining agreements with recognised trade unions for the period of the contract extension.

Simon Burns: Collective bargaining rights are a matter for the operator c2c and its employees, and were not addressed during the Department's negotiations for the Direct Award announced on 17 May 2013. The Department is not aware of any change to the current employment rights.

London, Tilbury and Southend Railway Line

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport under which contractual circumstances his Department would activate the contingency for further extensions up to April 2015 of the rail contract agreed with c2c Rail Ltd for passenger services on the Essex Thameside line and announced on 17 May 2013.

Simon Burns: There are no conditions specified within the Franchise Agreement with c2c Rail Ltd under which the contingency would be automatically activated. The available contingency can be called at the sole discretion of the Secretary of State for Transport. It is sensible to allow for the possibility of a delay to the completion of the competition for the next franchise and this contingency exists to accommodate such an event.

Motor Vehicles: Lighting

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on the fitting of automatic lighting to new vehicles; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Hammond: There have been no recent discussions with EU counterparts on the fitting of automatic lighting to new vehicles.

National Express

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport in which years National Express was in receipt of revenue support to operate rail passenger services on the (a) East Coast Main Line and (b) Essex Thameside route; and what the total amount was in each such year.

Simon Burns: National Express received no revenue support for either the Essex Thameside or Intercity East Coast franchise over this period.

Office for Low Emission Vehicles

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  how many meetings there have been between officials of the Office of Low Emission Vehicles and representatives of the petrol retailing industry in the last two months;
	(2)  what meetings have taken place between officials of the Office of Low Emission Vehicles and representatives of the National Franchised Dealers Association in the last 12 months.

Norman Baker: There have been no meetings between officials of the Office for Low Emission Vehicles and representatives of the petrol retailing industry in the last two months. Officials from the Office for Low Emission Vehicles meet regularly with various interested parties. In the past 12 months this has included a meeting with two representatives of the UK Petroleum Industry Association (UKPIA) on the 8th May to discuss the European Commission's Clean Power for Transport proposals. We will be inviting both of these organisations to comment on the forthcoming Directive on the deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure.
	OLEV is in the process of arranging a future meeting with the Retail Motor Industry Federation (which is comprised of associations including the National Franchised Dealers Association) to discuss progress in the UKH2 Mobility project.

Railways: EU Action

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions he and his officials have had regarding the Fourth Railway Package with (a) the European Commission and (b) other Government Departments.

Simon Burns: The Secretary of State for Transport, and his official have held a number of recent meetings with the Commission and other Government Departments regarding the Fourth Railway Package to inform our UK position.

Railways: Fares

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average (a) regulated and (b) unregulated passenger rail fare was on the (i) East Coast Main Line and (ii) Essex Thameside route in each year since 1995-96.

Norman Baker: The Department does not hold this information.
	The information may be available from the train operators themselves or from the Association of Train Operating Companies.

Railways: Franchises

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the improvement of service quality for passengers will be part of the evaluation criteria for bids to operate the proposed Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern Rail Franchise.

Simon Burns: I can confirm that improvements to passenger services will be a key consideration when evaluating bids for TSGN.
	As explained in the consultation document, which asked for views on the franchise in August 2012, the Department wants the franchisee to ensure the overall passenger experience improves through the life of the franchise, subject to value for money and affordability.

Railways: Franchises

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with Integrated Transport Authorities since the restart of rail refranchising.

Simon Burns: The Secretary of State for Transport has had no formal discussions with the Integrated Transport Authorities (ITAs) in this period. However, his officials from the Department regularly meet with a wide range of stakeholders including the ITAs.

Railways: Franchises

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what account his Department takes in his rail franchising policy of the circumstances under which National Express broke its contract with his Department for rail passenger services on the East Coast Main Line.

Simon Burns: There are robust policies in place for financial deliverability which are being further strengthened with the implementation of recommendations from Richard Brown's review into rail franchising.

Railways: Havering

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of passenger numbers on the Romford to Upminster train service in each of the last five years.

Norman Baker: Franchised train operators are required by the Department to undertake passenger counts on their services as part of their franchise agreement. The Department for Transport holds passenger count data for services between Romford and Upminster collected by Greater Anglia and National Express East Anglia. However, data at a service or route level are commercially confidential and so cannot be released.
	Greater Anglia may be able to provide more information. They can be contacted at the following address:
	Customer Relations
	Greater Anglia
	Norwich Railway Station
	Station Approach
	Norwich
	NR1 1EF.

Railways: North West

Andrew Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the benefit-cost ratio was in the business case for the electrification of the North TransPennine route railway line.

Simon Burns: North TransPennine electrification will deliver cleaner, greener and quicker trains between Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, York and Newcastle. The current benefit cost ratio for North TransPennine electrification is 1.92, which represents Medium Value for Money. The benefit cost ratio will continue to be updated as electrification costs, potential service pattern changes and possible journey time improvements emerge.

Railways: Repairs and Maintenance

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent assessment he has made of the resources available to Network Rail for surveying the stability of trackside banks.

Simon Burns: Network Rail is a private sector company limited by guarantee. The stability of its earthworks is an operational matter for the company. The independent Office of Rail Regulation oversees and monitors Network Rail's activities, and has an ongoing remit to investigate the effectiveness of the company's expenditure on inspecting and maintaining the structural condition of its earthworks.

Road Signs and Markings: Tourist Attractions

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of brown signs use and deployment in supporting the tourist economy.

Norman Baker: The purpose of white-on-brown directional traffic signs is to guide visitors along the most appropriate route to a tourist destination.
	The Brown Signs Working Group, set up by DCMS following the publication of the Government's Tourism Strategy in March 2011, is developing recommendations to take into account the importance the tourism industry places on them.

Scotland

David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the legislation his Department has sponsored which has devolved powers to the Scottish Parliament and powers within such legislation since 1998.

David Mundell: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Scotland Office.
	Scotland Office is responsible for maintaining and strengthening the devolution settlement; together with lead policy Departments we have delivered a programme of Scotland Act orders that have provided additional powers to the Scottish Parliament, as well as delivering the Scotland Act 2012 that enhanced the devolution settlement and provided the largest transfer of financial responsibility since 1999.
	Further devolution to the Scottish Parliament is principally achieved by way of amendments to schedules 4 and 5 of the Act. Since 1998 the following changes to those schedules have been made. These are presented in summary form.
	Amendments to schedule 4 of the Scotland Act 1998
	Power to modify the Scotland Act 1998 regarding financial assistance for opposition parties in the Scottish Parliament.
	Powers to modify certain provisions of the Scotland Act 1998 requiring any sum to be payable out of the Scottish Consolidated Fund.
	Power to provide that proceedings brought in a court or tribunal against a member of the Scottish Government under the Scotland Act 1998 on human rights grounds have to be brought before the end of a limitation period (since repealed by Scotland Act 2012).
	Amendments to schedule 5 of the Scotland Act 1998
	Political parties
	The making of payments to any political party for the purpose of assisting members of the Parliament to perform their parliamentary duties.
	Referendum
	A power to allow the Scottish Parliament to conduct a referendum on the independence of Scotland from the rest of the United Kingdom, subject to certain conditions.
	Financial and economic matters
	Powers to set a rate of income tax to be paid by Scottish taxpayers, and taxes in relation to land transactions and landfill.
	Home affairs
	The interception of any communication made to or by a person detained at a place of detention.
	The regulation of air weapons.
	Trade and industry
	Powers in relation to business associations which are social landlords, including in relation to winding up proceedings and procedures giving protection from creditors.
	Powers to provide financial assistance for the provision of services (other than postal services and services relating to money or postal orders) to be provided from public post offices.
	Transport
	Powers to impose requirements on Scottish public authorities about the preparation and submission of strategies relating to the provision of rail services.
	Powers to transfer functions of passenger transport executives or passenger transport authorities relating to rail services, and the allocation of such functions among relevant authorities.
	The promotion and construction of railways which start, end and remain in Scotland.
	Power to impose requirements on Scottish public authorities about the preparation and submission of strategies relating to the provision of air services.
	Social security
	Powers to provide occasional financial or other assistance to or in respect of individuals for the purposes of meeting an immediate short-term need, arising out of exceptional services, to avoid risk to the individual’s well-being, or enabling qualifying individuals to establish or maintain a settled home.
	Employment
	Fire safety on construction sites and on certain premises, including those concerned in the manufacture or storage of chemicals, explosives or flammable materials.
	Amendment to part 1 of the Scotland Act 1998
	Elections
	Power to make provision as to the conduct of elections for membership of the Scottish Parliament, and the questioning of such an election and the consequences of irregularities. Made by the Scotland Act 2012 and yet to be brought into force.

Shipping: Conditions of Employment

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the potential effects of the time taken to ratify the Maritime Labour Convention on UK ships calling in foreign ports.

Stephen Hammond: The UK intends to ratify the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006, and to ensure that UK ships have documentation attesting their compliance by 20 August 2013, when the convention comes into force internationally. Until that date there should be no impact on UK ships calling in foreign ports regardless of whether or not the UK has ratified the convention.

South West Trains

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 14 May 2013, Official Report, column 173W, on Network Rail, whether South West Trains has (a) sought and (b) received consent from him to bid for Network Rail’s driving and maintenance of multi-purpose vehicle fleet contract.

Simon Burns: South West Trains sought and were granted consent to carry out activities other than the provision and operation of the Franchise Services (as defined in the Franchise Agreement) in relation to Alliance Activities as defined in the Alliance Agreement between South West Trains and Network Rail.

Train Operating Companies

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 14 May 2013, Official Report, column 173W, on Network Rail, which train operating companies have (a) sought and (b) received consent from him or his predecessors to carry out business or other activities in the rail industry that fall outside the terms of an existing franchise agreement for passenger services.

Simon Burns: The information is as follows:
	(a) South West Trains
	(b) South West Trains.

DEFENCE

Afghanistan

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many instances of child abuse by Afghan security forces have been reported by (a) UK armed forces and (b) the International Security Assistance Force since 2001;
	(2)  how many meetings have been held between the UK and Afghan Governments to discuss child abuse by the Afghan security forces in the last three years.

Andrew Robathan: The Ministry of Defence does not hold information on allegations of misconduct committed by the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF), whether reported by UK armed forces or other International Security Assistance Force partners, in the format requested.
	Incidents of misconduct relating to ANSF personnel are treated very seriously by the UK. Any serious incident of misconduct by the ANSF witnessed by or alleged to UK Armed Forces in Afghanistan, whatever the nature of the offence, is reported back to the UK Permanent Joint Headquarters. Our forces in Afghanistan will engage with the ANSF on every allegation and encourage them to conduct their own investigation and take appropriate follow-on action unless it is explicitly disproved.

Afghanistan

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what code of conduct is taught by the British Army to Afghan security personnel in respect of reference to child abuse.

Andrew Robathan: The core values and beliefs of our armed forces provide the foundations of any direction and guidance given to the Afghan national security forces. These underline respect for human rights and obligations under international law.
	UK forces are no longer delivering training to the Afghan national army at the lowest levels in Central Helmand. The UK continues to deliver initial training to Afghan national police instructors at the Lashkar Gah Training Centre (LTC) in Helmand Province. The training delivered specifically covers topics such as values and ethics, the appropriate use of force, fundamental standards of human rights and how these are incorporated within the Afghan constitution.

Afghanistan

Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether UK forces use pattern of life analysis techniques when determining military targets on operations in Afghanistan.

Andrew Robathan: Military targets are never identified solely through the use of pattern of life analysis. This is one in a number of assessments that UK forces may use in the process of identifying military targets, and distinguishing these from civilians, on operations in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan

Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence in what way incidents involving fatalities arising from UK unmanned aerial vehicle strikes in Afghanistan are notified to (a) his Department and (b) media outlets.

Andrew Robathan: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Ministry of Defence, my noble Friend, Lord Astor of Hever, to the noble Lord, Lord Hylton, in another place on 4 December 2012, Official Report,House of Lords, column WA119.
	In general we will not publish details of individual incidents in which insurgents are killed as this information would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces.

Apache Helicopter

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consideration he has given to upgrading the Apache Helicopter fleet to Block 3 standard.

Philip Dunne: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 25 January 2013, Official Report, columns 469-70W, to the hon. Member for Bridgend (Mrs Moon).

Armed Forces: Domestic Violence

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many allegations of domestic violence have been reported to (a) service police and (b) civilian police by (i) family members of serving personnel and (ii) serving personnel based (A) in the UK and (B) overseas since 2005; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Francois: The Ministry of Defence holds the following information recorded by the Service Police or Ministry of Defence Police (MDP) on allegations of domestic violence involving service personnel or their family members made in the period between the implementation of the Armed Forces Act 2006 on 1 November 2009 and 31 December 2012. The MOD cannot provide a response on behalf of the civilian police.
	There were 320 allegations of domestic violence in this period, as recorded by the Service Police or MDP.
	
		
			 Number 
			  Allegations made by service personnel based in the UK Allegations made by family members based in the UK 
			 2009 13 51 
		
	
	
		
			 2010 7 27 
			 2011 14 29 
			 2012 8 21 
			 Total 42 128 
		
	
	
		
			 Number 
			  Allegations made by service personnel based overseas Allegations made by family members based overseas 
			 2009 1 6 
			 2010 15 50 
			 2011 10 32 
			 2012 8 28 
			 Total 34 116

Armed Forces: Elections

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to (a) enable and (b) encourage (i) members of the armed forces and (ii) civilian staff of his Department who are serving overseas to register and vote in UK elections.

Mark Francois: The Ministry of Defence is committed to members of the armed forces and civilian staff being able to take their full part in the democratic process when serving overseas.
	In all defence establishments, both at home and overseas, awareness of voting registration procedures is raised through an annual campaign to promote them. As part of the annual campaign, a Defence Instruction Notice is issued, and its key messages reinforced at unit level through posted routine orders. In addition, unit registration officers are expected to hold Service Registration days at all units. Civilian staff overseas are also eligible to register as service voters.
	The Electoral Registration and Administration Act 2013 has provisions that will better support defence personnel overseas to have their postal ballots included in the count. However, we still encourage personnel overseas to vote by proxy as a preference.

Armed Forces: Hearing Impairment

Gisela Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the (a) Army, (b) Royal Navy, (c) Royal Air Force and (d) Royal Marines have a code for noise induced hearing loss indicated on their medical records.

Mark Francois: The number of serving UK armed forces personnel who had a code for noise induced hearing loss (NIHL) entered in their medical record, as at 1 April 2013 is as follows:
	Out of 24,540 Royal Navy personnel, 40 members had a NIHL code.
	Out of 6,880 Royal Marines personnel, 90 members had a NIHL code.
	Out of 93,940 Army personnel, 870 members had a NIHL code.
	Out of 35,350 Royal Air Force personnel, 90 members had a NIHL code.
	These data were extracted using Read Codes from the Defence Medical Information Capability Programme. Information relating to NIHL which has been entered in the patient's medical record as free text, has not been included. As such, the numbers presented are to be viewed as a minimum.
	The Ministry of Defence takes seriously the protection of our troops from noise that can damage their hearing. We are continually looking at ways of monitoring and mitigating the risk of individuals developing hearing problems, including in the development of improved hearing protection.

Armed Forces: Pensions

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the Defence Budget included a withholding for the payment of pensions to members of the armed forces prior to the introduction of the Armed Forces Pension Scheme.

Andrew Robathan: Available records provide no indication that the Defence Budgets prior to the introduction of the Armed Forces Pension Scheme 1975 included a withholding for the payment of pensions.

Armed Forces: Scotland

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to the answer of 18 December 2012, Official Report, column 708W, and the answer of 10 April 2013, Official Report, column 1125W, on armed forces: Scotland, for what reason the former answers made no reference to possible prejudice to commercial interests; and for what reasons he considers that placing in the Library a copy of the capacity review of the Army estate in Scotland would prejudice such interests.

Andrew Robathan: The full capacity review on the Army estate in Scotland is commercially sensitive as to release it would place details of anticipated disposal receipts and forecast costs for sites into the public domain. This may prejudice the value that the Ministry of Defence would eventually achieve in any subsequent disposal.
	This was not mentioned in the previous responses as at that time the capacity review was still being drafted.

Armed Forces: Sexual Offences

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to the answer of 10 April 2013, Official Report, columns 1229-30W, on armed forces: sexual offences, what the (a) average length of an investigation is and (b) start date of each case was; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Robathan: The Minister for Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans, my right hon. Friend the Member for Rayleigh and Wickford (Mr Francois), will write to the hon. Member shortly.
	Substantive answer from Mark Francois to Madeleine Moon:
	In his answer of 21 May 2013 (Official Report column 718W) The Minister for the Armed Forces promised I would write in response to your question on the average length of an investigation in respect of allegations relating to the possession of indecent images and the start date of each case.
	The average length has been calculated as 10 ½ months, using a sample of the investigations reported in the answer to your previous Question, 137687, under (Official Report 10 April 2013, columns 1129-1130W). However, this figure must be used with great caution, because the length of an investigation is determined by a number of different factors. For example:
	the “possession of indecent images” might be one of many offences comprising a particular case and the other elements of the case may take longer to determine prior to referral or charge;
	the quality of the images or quantity of devices requiring review;
	time taken for forensic analysis of material holding the images;
	high priority cases (e.g. if it appears a child is in imminent danger), and
	the nature of operational deployments and/or Service life.
	The start date for each of the cases detailed in response to Question 137687 is detailed in the table. However, this will not replicate the number of cases reported previously, as in some instances the case will relate to both allegations “by” and allegations "”against”.
	2009
	21 January
	23 February
	26 October
	2 November
	1 December
	2010
	22 February
	25 February
	26 February
	26 February
	3 March
	7 June
	7 June
	10 August
	17 August
	23 September
	6 October
	29 October
	8 November
	8 December
	2011
	13 January
	25 January
	25 January
	18 March
	4 April
	11 April
	13 April
	3 May
	6 June
	22 June
	13 July
	13 July
	29 July
	5 August
	19 September
	26 September
	27 September
	18 October
	6 November
	16 November
	16 November
	28 November
	1 December
	2012
	19 January
	26 January
	28 January
	9 February
	25 April
	15 May
	11 May
	26 July
	21 August
	28 September
	5 November
	16 November
	26 November
	13 December

Armed Forces: Training

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many people are undergoing training at (a) RAF Cranwell, (b) Britannia Royal College, Dartmouth, (c) Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and (d) the Defence Academy at Shrivenham;
	(2)  how many individuals underwent training at (a) Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, (b) Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, (c) the Defence Academy, Shrivenham and (d) RAF Cranwell in each year since 2000; and how many people are intended to undergo training at each establishment in each year until 2020.

Andrew Robathan: The following information relates only to Britannia Royal Naval College (BRNC), Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, and RAF Cranwell. The information relating to the Defence Academy, Shrivenham will take time to collate, and I will write to the hon. Member shortly.
	As at 23 May 2013, the number of personnel undergoing training was:
	
		
			  Number 
			 Britannia Royal Naval College 226 
			 Royal Military Academy Sandhurst 576 
			 RAF Cranwell 46 
		
	
	The number of personnel who have undergone or will undergo training at each establishment between 2000 and 2020 is shown in the following tables.
	Where the number is marked as not available (BRNC and Cranwell in financial years 2000-01 to 2005-06), the data has not been captured in electronic form and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 
			 BRNC n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 345 370 343 433 
			 RMAS 627 678 679 746 719 735 721 712 707 701 
			 Cranwell n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 540 653 810 613 
		
	
	
		
			  2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20 
			 BRNC 349 288 279 376 391 392 398 400 400 400 
			 RMAS 771 682 593 591 591 591 591 591 591 591 
			 Cranwell 348 174 199 329 350 363 376 398 386 387

Australia

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to the answer of 5 February 2013, Official Report, column 207W, on Navy: Australia, what further consideration he has given to the representation of the Royal Navy at the Royal Australian Navy International Fleet Review in Sydney in October 2013.

Andrew Robathan: The United Kingdom will be represented at the Australian International Fleet Review in Sydney in October 2013 by Admiral Sir George Zambellas, the First Sea Lord and by HMS Daring, a Type 45 Destroyer.

Conditions of Employment

Pamela Nash: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people in his Department are employed on zero hours contracts.

Mark Francois: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 30 January 2013, Official Report, column 802W, to the hon. Member for Sunderland Central (Julie Elliott).

Defence Equipment and Support

Thomas Docherty: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions (a) he and (b) officials in his Department have had with the US Administration on the proposal to establish a Government-owned, contractor-operated (GOCO) organisation to replace Defence Equipment and Support.

Philip Dunne: holding answer 13 May 2013
	Engagement with the US on the future of Defence Equipment and Support has been ongoing at ministerial and official levels since the materiel strategy programme began.
	Last month I met Frank Kendall, the US National Armaments Director, to discuss the future of DE&S, and Bernard Gray, the Chief of Defence Materiel, has met him numerous times over the past year as part of a comprehensive engagement plan. In addition my team have been working closely with the taskforce established to consider the materiel strategy with us. We will continue to engage at all levels as the assessment phase of the programme develops.
	I remain confident that we will continue to have a close and harmonious defence acquisition relationship with the US as we have had for decades.

Defence Infrastructure Organisation

Gemma Doyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the cost of the Defence Infrastructure Organisation's contracts with Deloitte for the implementation of the restructuring programme in each of the last three financial years;
	(2)  what the total cost to the public purse has been of the Defence Infrastructure Organisation's implementation of the D10 restructuring programme;
	(3)  what estimate he has made of the total cost of contracts with consultants employed in the restructuring of the Defence Infrastructure Organisation in (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012 and (d) 2013 to date.

Mark Francois: Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) has an annual spend of approximately £3.3 billion and manages assets worth £21 billion across an estate of some 230,000 hectares. The DIO transformation programme is designed to deliver significant savings to the organisation’s running costs.
	The total costs for transformation activity in the DIO, including work on the Footprint strategy, support to the procurement of the Information Management System, work investigating possible procurement of a Strategic Business Partner and costs for external assistance, including legal support, is shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Financial year Total costs (£ million) 
			 2010-11 0 
			 2011-12 7.8 
			 2012-13 15.6 
			 2013-14 (1)12 
			 (1) Forecast. 
		
	
	As part of this Government’s commitment to increasing transparency, details of contracts with a value of £10,000 or more are available on the Contracts Finder website:
	www.gov.uk/contracts-finder

Defence Infrastructure Organisation

Gemma Doyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many staff holding positions deemed critical at the Defence Infrastructure Organisation took voluntary redundancy; and how many of these positions have not been replaced in each of the last three financial years.

Mark Francois: The criteria to consider any individual application for release under the departmental Voluntary Early Release Scheme (VERS) includes (among others) an assessment by a senior manager in the line management chain as to whether the post if vacated would require replacement, and the skills value of the individual to the business. While individuals were not specifically classified as being business critical, this was taken into account in the skills value consideration. The outcome of that assessment was used to determine which staff could be released. This was not a redundancy scheme.
	The following numbers were agreed for release from the Defence Infrastructure Organisation:
	
		
			 Voluntary Early Release Scheme  Number 
			 1 2011 570 
			 1 and 2 2012 266 
			 2 2013 (1)65 
			 (1) Actual and anticipated.

Defence Munitions Longtown

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the security of transporting munitions by train from Defence Munitions, Longtown;
	(2)  how much his Department has spent on transporting munitions from Defence Munitions Longtown since the theft of munitions in October 2012.

Philip Dunne: As a result of the theft of bar mines from a train in Warrington on 25 October 2012 a detailed and wide-ranging review of the procedures for transporting munitions was initiated. This work is ongoing. Immediately after the theft and pending the outcome of the review, Defence Equipment and Support stopped all rail movement of munitions and imposed tighter central control and enhanced security requirements on all road movement of munitions.
	Information on the cost of transporting munitions from Defence Munitions Longtown is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The Ministry of Defence continues to transport munitions to meet all of its operational commitments and there has been no impact on our support to operations in Afghanistan.

Defence Support Group

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what rental income has been earned from buildings at DSG Ashchurch in each of the last five years; what this income has been used for; and if he will make a statement.

Philip Dunne: The rental income earned from buildings at Ministry of Defence Ashchurch in each of the last five years is shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Financial year Total income (£ million) 
			 2012-13 0.925 
			 2011-12 0.841 
			 2010-11 0.781 
			 2009-10 1.538 
			 2008-09 1.157 
		
	
	The income is used for the overall benefit of Defence.

Defence: Procurement

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the cost of VAT on foreign military sale contracts in each of the last five years.

Philip Dunne: The VAT paid by the Ministry of Defence on foreign military sale contracts, i.e. goods, equipment and services imported from overseas, over each of the last live years is as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
			 2008-09 61,350,282 
			 2009-10 77,225,008 
			 2010-11 99,244,435 
			 2011-12 87,850,236 
			 2012-13 66.156,686

Depleted Uranium

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 13 May 2013, Official Report, column 100W, if he will list the variants that do not include depleted uranium which can be test-fired for the propellant charge for the Charm-3 round and which will still inform the overall Life Extension Programme.

Philip Dunne: The variant of shell being fired to inform the Life Extension Programme for the Charm-3 round is the SX 230A ‘Shot Proof 120mm Tk’, which does not contain depleted uranium. It will be fired using the L16 and L17 variants of propellant charges.

European Union

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his Department’s top priorities are for changing the UK’s relationship with the EU.

Andrew Murrison: As the Prime Minister made clear in his January speech on Europe, the European Union (EU) needs to change both to deliver prosperity and to retain the support of its peoples. The Government are committed to help shape the future of a more competitive, flexible and democratically accountable EU.
	The Government are currently carrying out the Balance of Competence Review, which is an evidence-based, objective analysis of what EU membership means for the UK and our national interest. Reports will not produce recommendations but will look at the impact of the EU in areas of EU policy.
	The EU’s Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) will be debated for the first time since 2008 at the European Council in December 2013. The discussion will be a key opportunity to help shape the development of the CSDP and the UK’s role within the EU in a defence context.
	The UK’s priorities for the Council are to focus CSDP on the comprehensive approach and complementarity with NATO, to improve cost-effectiveness and operational delivery, to enhance capabilities that benefit both NATO and the EU, and for this to be underpinned by a strengthened defence industrial base that will help boost longer term competitiveness and economic growth.

Hyde Park Barracks

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much the recent refurbishment of Hyde Park barracks married accommodation cost.

Mark Francois: The Army Basing Plan announcement of 5 March 2013 confirmed as part of the continued scrutiny of the central London estate that the Department will be pursuing potential options to vacate Hyde Park barracks and re-provide for the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment elsewhere within central London. The investigation of options continues, and no decision has been made in relation to disposal.
	Work to refurbish the service accommodation at Hyde Park barracks is due to be completed in July 2013 at a cost of £6.8 million. The contract was awarded in spring 2012 and, due to the nature of the building, undertaking the work involved a full scaffolding of the tower.

Inflation

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the purposes for which his Department uses (a) the retail price index measure of inflation, (b) the consumer price index measure of inflation and (c) any alternative measure of inflation.

Philip Hammond: For planning our future overall budget the Ministry of Defence (MOD) uses the gross domestic product (GDP) deflator mandated by HM Treasury. We have also calculated a series of inflation indices for specific commodities, such as fuel or service personnel pay, based on wider industry indices or historic trends.
	A variety of price indices are used in defence contracts depending on a range of factors. In 2010-11, the latest year for which the analysis is available, the MOD spent £9.3 billion on fixed price contracts containing a variation of price clause. Around 30% of expenditure on these fixed price contracts was linked to the retail price index (RPI) series, principally RPI excluding mortgage interest payments, but consumer price index (CPI) and other rates of inflation were also used.
	The MOD also produces an annual estimate of defence inflation, incorporating estimates for contract inflation, labour costs and cash office expenditure. RPI, CPI and a range of other inflation rates are used in calculating these estimates. Forecasts of inflation rates have also been developed in order to support policy and financial planning within the MOD.
	Further information can be found in the Defence Inflation Estimates Statistical Notice 2011-12 document available online at the following address:
	http://www.dasa.mod.uk/applications/newWeb/www/index.php?page=48&pubType=l&thiscontent=740&PublishTime= 09:30:00&date=2013-01-09&disText=2011%20/%2012&from=listing&topDate=2013-01-09

Libya

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which Ministers were present at the Defence and Security Industry Day in Tripoli on HMS Kent on 3 April 2013.

Andrew Murrison: I was the sole Minister in attendance on the day.

Military Decorations: World War II

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  when the (a) Arctic Star and (b) Bomber Command clasp will be issued to (i) living veterans, (ii) surviving spouses and (iii) other next of kin;
	(2)  what steps he is taking to ensure the timely issue of the (a) Arctic Star and (b) Bomber Command clasp to (i) living veterans, (ii) surviving spouses and (iii) other next of kin.

Mark Francois: A dedicated project team of some 30 personnel has been formed within the Ministry of Defence medal office to deal solely with applications for the Arctic Star medal and Bomber Command clasp. The design of the star and clasp was completed much quicker than usual, with the first awards being presented in March 2013, just four months after the Prime Minister’s initial announcement.
	Over 21,000 applications for the two awards have been received so far with more arriving daily.
	Of this total, over 5,500 applications have been received from living veterans, and approximately 1,000 awards have already been made. It is planned that awards to the remaining eligible veterans who have applied so far will be issued during the summer.
	Thereafter, applications from surviving spouses will take priority, followed by those received from next of kin. Given the volume of applications received and the detailed and time consuming nature of assessing each case, it is difficult to judge exactly how soon it will be before awards have been made to eligible relatives but officials will be working to achieve this as quickly as possible.

Pay

Dominic Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many employees in his Department were paid in excess of (a) £80,000 and (b) £100,000 in (i) 2012 and (ii) 2013.

Mark Francois: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 30 November 2012, Official Report, columns 560-61W.

Pensions

Alan Reid: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will estimate the combined additional cost to his Department expressed as an average percentage of salary of reducing the pension age of members of the (a) Defence Fire and Rescue Service and (b) Ministry of Defence police to 60 years of age.

Mark Francois: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 20 May 2013, Official Report, column 500W.

Pensions

Alan Reid: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the average proportion of salary that will be deducted from members of (a) the Defence Fire and Rescue Service and (b) the Ministry of Defence police in 2015-16 in the form of an abatement to contribute towards the cost of pension payments.

Mark Francois: It is not possible to state the net pay deductions for either the Defence Fire and Rescue Service or the Ministry of Defence police for financial year 2015-16 as they have not yet been calculated.

Reserve Forces

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many deduction of earnings requests from the Department for Work and Pensions for full-time volunteer mobilised reservists were deferred or suspended in financial years (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13.

Mark Francois: Details of the number of deductions of earnings requests deferred or suspended in financial years 2010-11, 2011-12 and 2012-13, are not held in the format requested.

Sign Language

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the equality of access available for deaf people whose first language is British Sign Language in communicating with (a) the armed forces and (b) the agencies and public bodies which support his Department; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what specific measures his Department has in place to ensure that deaf people have the opportunity to communicate in British Sign Language with (a) the armed forces and (b) the agencies and public bodies for which he is responsible.

Mark Francois: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is an equal opportunities employer and has a legal obligation to provide reasonable adjustments for disabled staff, including the deaf, to enable them to maximise their potential and work as effectively as possible on an equal basis with their colleagues.
	We provide policy guidance for disabled staff and their managers to identify what adjustments need to be made, whether those adjustments are reasonable and to comply with relevant legislation. In the case of deaf employees, this could range from the provision of a full-time interpreter to the training of a work colleague to enable such support.
	When visitors notify us they suffer deafness, the MOD will provide a British Sign Language interpreter.

Training

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many officials in (a) his Department and (b) the non-departmental public bodies for which he is responsible enrolled in publicly-funded training courses in each of the last five years; what the total cost has been of such courses; and what the monetary value was of the 10 highest training course fees in each such year.

Mark Francois: Information on the number of officials enrolled in publicly-funded training courses and the 10 highest training course fees could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Comparative cost information about the provision of training to civilian staff in the Ministry of Defence is available for financial year 2010-11 and 2011-12. Information for financial year 2012-13 is still subject to audit. The figures are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  £ million 
			 2010-11 49 
			 2011-12 35 
		
	
	These figures include external training, such as specialist training that cannot be carried out in-house, and the provision of training by the Defence Academy.

Unmanned Air Vehicles

Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence in which years UK forces embedded with the US Air Force have flown unmanned aerial vehicles in Iraq.

Andrew Robathan: RAF personnel flew US Remotely Piloted Air Systems in Iraq while embedded with the US Air Force between 2004 and 2007.

Unmanned Air Vehicles

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what external legal advice he has commissioned to ensure that the provision of locational intelligence to facilitate unmanned aerial vehicle strikes by third parties is consistent with customary international law.

Andrew Robathan: It has been the long-standing policy of successive Governments not to comment on intelligence matters.

Unmanned Air Vehicles

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what external legal advice he has commissioned to ensure that UK unmanned aerial vehicle operations are consistent with the law of armed conflict.

Andrew Robathan: All operations, including those involving unmanned aerial systems, are informed by appropriate legal advice and are conducted in accordance with applicable international humanitarian law.

Unmanned Air Vehicles

Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many hours each UK Reaper unmanned aerial vehicle has flown in each of the last 12 months.

Andrew Robathan: I am withholding the information as disclosure would or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces.

Unmanned Air Vehicles

Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what guidance his Department issues on responsibility for civilian fatalities caused by unmanned aerial vehicles which are (a) the property of the US armed forces and piloted by UK service personnel and (b) piloted by both US and UK service personnel.

Andrew Robathan: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 15 May 2013, Official Report, column 220W, to my right hon. Friend the Member for Mid Sussex (Nicholas Soames).
	UK service personnel operating US Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems in Afghanistan operate under UK Rules of Engagement at all times. US and UK personnel operating UK Reaper as part of the Launch and Recovery Element in Afghanistan will also comply with UK Rules of Engagement.

Unmanned Air Vehicles

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his policy is on the use of unmanned aerial vehicle strikes within the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Robathan: The Ministry of Defence does not operate any armed unmanned aerial vehicles within UK airspace.

Veterans: Training

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the armed forces left the service without (a) level 1, (b) level 2 and (c) level 3 training in (i) 2010, (ii) 2011 and (iii) 2012.

Mark Francois: holding answer 15 May 2013
	The services are among the largest training providers in the UK, with excellent completion and achievement rates. Service personnel are offered genuine progression routes which allow them to develop, gain qualifications and play a fuller part in society, either in the armed forces or subsequently as a civilian.
	In total, more than 37,000 awards at all levels were gained as a result of service training in academic year 2011-12. However, we do not hold details of the qualifications held by personnel leaving the services in the format requested.

Scotland

David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what legislation his Department has sponsored which has devolved powers to the Scottish Parliament and powers within such legislation since 1998.

David Mundell: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Scotland Office.
	Scotland Office is responsible for maintaining and strengthening the devolution settlement; together with lead policy Departments we have delivered a programme of Scotland Act orders that have provided additional powers to the Scottish Parliament, as well as delivering the Scotland Act 2012 that enhanced the devolution settlement and provided the largest transfer of financial responsibility since 1999.
	Further devolution to the Scottish Parliament is principally achieved by way of amendments to schedules 4 and 5 of the Act. Since 1998 the following changes to those schedules have been made. These are presented in summary form.
	Amendments to schedule 4 of the Scotland Act 1998
	Power to modify the Scotland Act 1998 regarding financial assistance for opposition parties in the Scottish Parliament.
	Powers to modify certain provisions of the Scotland Act 1998 requiring any sum to be payable out of the Scottish Consolidated Fund.
	Power to provide that proceedings brought in a court or tribunal against a member of the Scottish Government under the Scotland Act 1998 on human rights grounds have to be brought before the end of a limitation period (since repealed by Scotland Act 2012).
	Amendments to schedule 5 of the Scotland Act 1998
	Political parties
	The making of payments to any political party for the purpose of assisting members of the Parliament to perform their parliamentary duties.
	Referendum
	A power to allow the Scottish Parliament to conduct a referendum on the independence of Scotland from the rest of the United Kingdom, subject to certain conditions.
	Financial and economic matters
	Powers to set a rate of income tax to be paid by Scottish taxpayers, and taxes in relation to land transactions and landfill.
	Home affairs
	The interception of any communication made to or by a person detained at a place of detention.
	The regulation of air weapons.
	Trade and industry
	Powers in relation to business associations which are social landlords, including in relation to winding up proceedings and procedures giving protection from creditors.
	Powers to provide financial assistance for the provision of services (other than postal services and services relating to money or postal orders) to be provided from public post offices.
	Transport
	Powers to impose requirements on Scottish public authorities about the preparation and submission of strategies relating to the provision of rail services.
	Powers to transfer functions of passenger transport executives or passenger transport authorities relating to rail services, and the allocation of such functions among relevant authorities.
	The promotion and construction of railways which start, end and remain in Scotland.
	Power to impose requirements on Scottish public authorities about the preparation and submission of strategies relating to the provision of air services.
	Social security
	Powers to provide occasional financial or other assistance to or in respect of individuals for the purposes of meeting an immediate short-term need, arising out of exceptional services, to avoid risk to the individual’s well-being, or enabling qualifying individuals to establish or maintain a settled home.
	Employment
	Fire safety on construction sites and on certain premises, including those concerned in the manufacture or storage of chemicals, explosives or flammable materials.
	Amendment to part 1 of the Scotland Act 1998
	Elections
	Power to make provision as to the conduct of elections for membership of the Scottish Parliament, and the questioning of such an election and the consequences of irregularities. Made by the Scotland Act 2012 and yet to be brought into force.

EDUCATION

Academies

Chris Skidmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  how many (a) sponsored and (b) converter academies there were in each (i) parliamentary constituency and (ii) local authority in England in May (A) 2010 and (B) 2013;
	(2)  what proportion of (a) primary and (b) secondary schools were academies in each (i) parliamentary constituency and (ii) local authority in May (A) 2010 and (B) 2013.

Edward Timpson: The information requested has been placed in the House Library.

Academies

Chris Skidmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will list each (a) sponsored academy, (b) converter academy and (c) maintained school in each (i) parliamentary constituency and (ii) local authority in England in May 2013.

Edward Timpson: The information requested has been placed in the House Library.

Academies: Inspections

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has to introduce Ofsted inspection of academy chains.

Edward Timpson: There are no plans to introduce separate Ofsted inspections of academy chains. Ofsted can, in looking at the performance of individual academies, consider the role of their overarching governance structure and their formal links with other academies.

Childminding

Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 13 May 2013, Official Report, columns 87-8W, on childminding, what the name is of each representative on the Task and Finish Group; and from which organisation each such representative comes.

Elizabeth Truss: The organisations invited to the Task and Finish Group are as follows:
	Ofsted, the National College for Teaching and Leadership, 4Children, Family and Childcare Trust, national Day Nurseries Association, National Children’s Bureau, Pre-school Learning Alliance, the Northamptonshire Childminding Association, Norland College, the Independent Childminders Social Enterprise, Bright Horizons, Busy Bees, Kidsunlimited, the Association of Nanny Agencies, ARK Academies, Redgrave Children and Young People’s Centre, Trio Childcare and @Home Childcare.
	Specific individuals attending from these organisations vary from meeting to meeting.

Children in Care: Coastal Areas

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many and what proportion of children are looked after in each of the principal seaside towns of England.

Edward Timpson: The number and proportion of children who are looked after by each local authority in England has been placed in the House Library. Information at individual town level is not available.

Children: Care Homes

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many full-time equivalent staff were employed in children's residential care homes in England and Wales in (a) 2009-10, (b) 2010-11 and (c) 2011-12.

Edward Timpson: Information on the number of staff employed in children's residential care homes is not collected centrally. As part of the Department for Education's children's homes reform programme, we are commissioning a census of the children's homes workforce. This will provide up-to-date information on the numbers, qualifications and skill levels of staff in children's homes.

Child Poverty

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the recent report from the British Medical Association, Growing Up in the UK, on the effects of austerity on child poverty.

David Laws: The Government have read the British Medical Association's report with interest. We are committed to ending child poverty and to the provisions of the Child Poverty Act 2010. Improving health outcomes and reducing health inequalities are key to ensuring that people are able to escape poverty, and poor health is one of the root causes of poverty.
	We recognise that a sustainable approach to tackling child poverty needs to address many factors such as worklessness, health, educational failure and family stability. Our strategy to improve life chances includes improving health outcomes and reducing health inequalities through the provision of more effective NHS, public health and social care services, from conception onwards across the life course.

Children: Social Services

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much children's social work departments spent on agency social workers in (a) 2009-10, (b) 2010-11 and (c) 2011-12.

Edward Timpson: This information is held by individual local authorities and is not collected centrally.

Children: Social Services

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many directors of children's services in England earn more than £150,000 a year.

Edward Timpson: The Department does not hold information on the salaries of directors of children's services, and to collect and provide this information would incur disproportionate costs.

Class Sizes: Corby

Andy Sawford: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the average class size was in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in Corby constituency in each of the last three years.

David Laws: Data on class sizes in state-funded primary and secondary schools in England are published as part of the annual Statistical First Release ‘Schools, Pupils and their Characteristics'. The latest data are for January 2012 and are available on the government's website:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/schools-pupils-and-their-characteristics-january-2012
	This information is also available on the Department's website:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/inyourarea/results/nat_921_pcons_10.shtml
	The information requested is given in the following table:
	
		
			 State-funded primary and secondary schools(1, 2, 3, 4, 5): Classes as taught(6) January 2010-12. In Corby parliamentary constituency 
			  2010 2011 2012 
			  State-funded primary(1, 2) State-funded secondary(1, 3) State-funded primary(1,2) State-funded secondary(1, 3) State-funded primary(1, 4) State-funded secondary(1, 5) 
			 Average class size 25.1 19.8 25.6 20.8 25.7 20.2 
			 (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. (2) Includes primary academies. (3) Includes city technology colleges and secondary academies (including all-through academies). (4) Includes primary academies and free schools. (5) Includes city technology colleges, secondary academies/free schools (including all-through academies/free schools). (6) One teacher classes as taught during a single selected period in each school on the day of the census in January. Source: School Census

Culture: Curriculum

Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he expects to publish the Cultural Education Plan.

Elizabeth Truss: We expect to publish the National Plan for Cultural Education shortly.

Education: Romford

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment his Department has made of the level of literacy and numeracy of (a) primary school leavers and (b) secondary school leavers in Romford constituency in each of the last five years.

Elizabeth Truss: The information requested is provided in the following tables:
	
		
			 Primary school leavers, achievements at the expected level(1) by pupils at the end of key stage 2 in Romford parliamentary constituency(2,) years: 2008 to 2012(3,) coverage: Romford constituency(4) 
			 Percentage of KS2 pupils achieving expected level in: 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012(5) 
			 English 87 88 85 87 88 
			 Mathematics 81 84 85 81 85 
			 (1) Includes pupils who achieved Level 4 or above. Level 4 is the expected level of achievement for pupils at the end of key stage 2. (2) Parliamentary constituency figures are based on school postcodes. (3). Data are final data for all years. (4 )State-funded schools including academies. Figures do not include pupils recently arrived from overseas. (5) In 2012, English was calculated from reading test results and writing teacher assessment rather than from reading and writing tests as in previous years. English in 2012 is, therefore, not comparable to previous years. Source: National Pupil Database. 
		
	
	
		
			 Secondary school leavers, percentages of pupils at the end of key stage 4 achieving A*-C grades in English and mathematics GCSEs(1) in Romford constituency(2,) years: 2007/08 to 2011/12(3,) coverage: Romford constituency(4) 
			 Percentage of KS4 pupils achieving an A*-C grade in: 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 
			 English 66.1 65.2 66.2 71.9 63.6 
			 Mathematics 59.7 65.5 66.7 68.0 70.9 
			 (1) Full GCSEs only have been included (full GCSEs, double awards, accredited international certificates and their predecessor iGCSEs and AS levels). Figures from 2007/08 to 2008/09 exclude iGCSEs, 2009/10 figures onwards include accredited iGCSEs. (2) Parliamentary constituency figures are based on the postcode of the school. (3) Data are final data for all years. (4) Includes state-funded schools including academies. Figures do not include pupils recently arrived from overseas. Source: National Pupil Database.

Education: Travellers

Richard Graham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when his Department plans to respond to its consultation on Improving Educational Outcomes for Children of Travelling Families.

Elizabeth Truss: We are currently considering the responses to our consultation on educational outcomes for children of travelling families, of which there were almost 2,000. We will publish our response in due course.

Education: Travellers

Richard Graham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the effects of section 444(6) of the Education Act 1996, on the show community and the family life of its members.

Elizabeth Truss: The relationship between attendance and the attainment of children in travelling families is a complex issue. We know that children of travelling families that are registered at a school do not attend or achieve as well as their peers.
	We are now reviewing the responses to our recent consultation on whether to repeal the defence against prosecution for travelling families in certain circumstances.

E-mail

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 20 May 2013, Official Report, column 590W, on e-mail, on how many occasions he has copied e-mails from the Mrs Blurt e-mail account to departmental systems where information was generated in the course of conducting government business in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Elizabeth Truss: No relevant records are held centrally by the Department for Education. An attempt to identify, from the full range of records held by the Department, on how many occasions a certain step was taken over a past 12-month period could be undertaken only at disproportionate cost and could not provide a conclusive answer.

English Baccalaureate

Chris Skidmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of pupils (a) entered and (b) achieved A* to C grades in the subjects which make up the English Baccalaureate in each (i) parliamentary constituency and (ii) local authority in (A) 2010, (B) 2011 and (C) 2012.

Elizabeth Truss: The Department publishes information on: “GGSE and equivalent attainment by pupil characteristics in England, 2011-2012” which can be found at the following link:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/gcse-and-equivalent-attainment-by-pupil-characteristics-in-england
	Tables 3, 4, 5 and 6 in the “Main tables: SFR04/2013” link show the percentage of pupils (a) entering and (b) achieving A* to C grades in the subjects which make up the English Baccalaureate in 2010/11 and 2011/12 by local authority. A drop down menu in the top right hand corner of the table allows you to select the relevant indicator and year.
	The percentage of pupils entering and achieving the English Baccalaureate for 2009/10 local authority data and for 2009/10 to 2011/12 parliamentary constituency data has been placed in the House Library.

Free Schools

Chris Skidmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will list all (a) open and (b) pipeline free schools in each (i) parliamentary constituency and (ii) local authority in England.

Edward Timpson: 81 free schools have opened to date. A further 211 free schools are in the pipeline including the 102 schools announced by the Secretary of State for Education, my right hon. Friend the Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), on 22 May 2013 that are due to open in 2014 and beyond.
	Lists of the open free schools and those in the pipeline have been placed in the House Library with details of their respective parliamentary constituencies and local authorities. Most of the 102 schools that entered the pipeline in May 2013 do not yet have confirmed sites. Therefore the local authorities and constituencies for these schools reflect the proposer's preferred location.

Government Procurement Card

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 22 April 2013, Official Report, column 688W, on government procurement card, how many transactions were made by each member of staff; for what reasons; at what cost; and on which dates in each of the last two financial years.

Elizabeth Truss: I have written to the hon. Member in response to his recent request under the Freedom of Information Act, providing details of the transactions in question.

History: Curriculum

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what his policy is on the teaching of the history of British Overseas Territories in schools.

Elizabeth Truss: We believe that all pupils should be taught the history of Britain, and that that teaching should include the history of the British empire, as well as the wider impact of Britain and Britons on world history.
	We are currently considering responses to the public consultation on our proposals for the new history curriculum published earlier this year, and will make further announcements in due course.

History: Curriculum

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what his policy is on the teaching of the history of the European Union in schools.

Elizabeth Truss: Should schools choose to teach their pupils the history of the European Union then they can do so at their discretion. However, as we have made clear in our proposals for the new national curriculum published earlier this year, we do not think it should be compulsory for them to do so.
	Where schools choose to teach this, legislation requires that they do so in such a way that pupils are not exposed to politically biased views, but are provided with a balanced presentation of opposing issues. For instance, it would be wrong for a school to promote the European Union without pupils being made aware of other viewpoints.
	We are currently considering responses to the public consultation on our proposals for the new history curriculum, and will make further announcements in due course.

Recruitment

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many staff were recruited by his Department in 2011-12.

Elizabeth Truss: In the financial year 2011-12, the Department recruited 253 people to fixed term and permanent posts.

Schools

Stephen Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many local authority-maintained federations there are in England; and how many of those are federations of special schools.

David Laws: The Department does not hold a complete list of federations and their composition. Since September 2009 there has been a duty to inform the Department of the establishment of a formal or ‘hard’ federation made under section 24 of the Education Act 2002. However, this does not provide data on all federations since it does not include federations established prior to September 2009 or less formal federations that have been established under section 26 of the Act. In addition there is no duty to inform the Department of the dissolution of a federation.

Schools

Stephen Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many local authority-maintained federations there are in England; and how many are a combination of primary, secondary and special schools.

David Laws: The Department does not hold a complete list of federations and their composition. Since September 2009 there has been a duty to inform the Department of the establishment of a formal or ‘hard’ federation made under section 24 of the Education Act 2002. However, this does not provide data on all federations since it does not include federations established prior to September 2009 or less formal federations that have been established under section 26 of the Act. In addition there is no duty to inform the Department of the dissolution of a federation.

Schools: Catering

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of food procured by schools came from UK food producers in the latest period for which figures are available.

Elizabeth Truss: The Department does not collect this information. Individual schools and local authorities are responsible for their own procurement of services and/or food.

Schools: Drugs

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether his Department plans to publish updated guidance on managing medicines in schools.

David Laws: The Government's guidance ‘Managing Medicines in Schools and Early Years Settings' is currently under review. Our intention is to publish the updated guidance later in the year.

Schools: Repairs and Maintenance

Chris Skidmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much capital funding has been allocated to each local authority in England for (a) maintenance and (b) basic need in each year of the current spending review period.

David Laws: At the local authority level, maintenance and basic need capital allocations for each year of the current spending review period are detailed in the following table. This information is also available on the departmental website at the following link. The figures for basic need include the two-year capital allocation for 2013-15 announced by the Secretary of State for Education, the right hon. Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), on 1 March 2012.
	http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/adminandfinance/schoolscapital
	
		
			 Local authority level capital allocations—Maintenance 2011-14 and Basic Need 2011-15 
			 £ 
			  Maintenance Basic Need 
			 Local authority 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2011-12 2012-13 2013-15 
			 North East       
			 Darlington 2,298,234 1,032,839 417,325 2,417,374 2,445,419 1,519,760 
			 Durham 14,038,100 11,265,660 10,119,099 3,764,095 2,235,312 433,606 
			 Gateshead 4,558,384 3,333,880 3,002,416 1,476,257 837,600 318,739 
			 Hartlepool 2,342,151 2,071,527 2,050,916 1,098,506 532,442 0 
			 Middlesbrough 2,916,676 2,526,830 2,005,566 1,764,641 1,275,286 255,195 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 4,965,841 4,124,177 3,713,764 3,308,900 3,058,578 4,602,440 
			 North Tyneside 4,959,918 4,017,635 3,825,116 2,832,993 2,335,487 2,021,310 
			 Northumberland 9,752,127 7,577,092 6,762,554 20,000 972,731 838,335 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 3,492,879 2,858,304 2,374,845 871,690 455,459 49,084 
			 South Tyneside 3,148,861 2,838,751 2,623,207 1,362,950 995,658 0 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 4,447,367 3,903,123 3,577,751 3,118,749 2,080,028 2,753,264 
			 Sunderland 6,022,877 5,087,221 3,934,741 3,307,833 1,635,031 1,610,730 
			        
		
	
	
		
			 North West       
			 Blackburn with Darwen 3,464,310 3,653,582 3,496,824 2,350,864 2,531,564 1,027,447 
			 Blackpool 2,789,015 2,805,406 1,920,695 1,973,843 4,383,563 2,512,447 
			 Bolton 6,749,229 6,514,033 6,116,775 7,310,675 3,517,827 4,771,497 
			 Bury 4,592,948 4,501,876 4,401,999 1,294,884 1,083,240 2,606,744 
			 Cheshire East 7,960,483 7,138,054 6,306,390 1,548,915 1,702,420 4,850,889 
			 Cheshire West and Chester 8,296,943 7,566,114 6,659,181 2,451,479 1,862,552 422,210 
			 Cumbria 15,555,483 12,021,616 11,475,722 4,348,586 2,825,376 6,559,074 
			 Halton 3,158,155 2,950,659 2,679,119 1,689,618 963,081 1,203,445 
			 Knowsley 3,120,390 2,986,904 2,668,108 1,340,689 954,838 0 
			 Lancashire 29,748,182 28,507,439 27,075,283 25,979,710 21,557,398 17,854,794 
			 Liverpool 8,728,699 8,122,963 7,237,657 3,637,480 2,700,703 3,102,078 
			 Manchester 8,597,460 8,585,179 7,581,309 16,485,139 27,752,274 41,058,798 
			 Oldham 5,223,026 4,707,615 4,263,908 2,316,845 1,889,506 1,461,114 
			 Rochdale 4,288,704 4,270,423 4,176,883 4,106,967 3,789,225 4,235,584 
			 Salford 4,541,476 4,539,767 4,132,957 4,786,308 5,463,826 9,184,552 
			 Sefton 6,800,807 5,452,999 5,279,817 894,422 781,284 2,080,432 
			 St. Helens 3,622,675 3,581,173 3,484,232 1,531,480 1,090,640 3,114,767 
			 Stockport 6,271,572 5,687,139 5,400,288 5,068,864 6,151,409 8,094,764 
			 Tameside 4,371,062 4,128,834 3,753,664 2,394,639 2,506,122 6,172,183 
			 Trafford 5,030,598 4,630,023 3,884,527 9,044,915 11,316,019 15,153,173 
			 Warrington 4,865,669 4,668,737 3,642,498 748,865 1,395,528 3,808,084 
			 Wigan 7,145,600 6,701,152 6,137,507 3,236,207 3,097,928 5,389,499 
			 Wirral 7,089,234 6,175,013 5,439,484 2,116,706 1,436,375 1,024,927 
			        
			 Yorkshire and Humber       
			 Barnsley 4,676,890 4,067,078 2,928,229 2,403,831 1,889,351 2,852,965 
			 Bradford 11,728,292 9,899,201 9,434,992 17,729,194 19,611,561 15,289,506 
			 Calderdale 5,213,036 3,367,572 3,076,908 4,386,355 1,822,373 2,590,259 
			 Doncaster 7,681,374 5,270,499 4,476,942 3,609,851 3,017,949 2,664,707 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 8,519,088 6,622,859 6,579,535 1,912,282 732,444 2,291,956 
			 Kingston Upon Hull, City of 5,048,507 4,917,511 3,921,291 3,608,925 2,386,394 4,989,769 
			 Kirklees 10,829,059 8,536,478 7,850,157 7,982,984 5,524,666 9,265,301 
			 Leeds 14,695,877 12,815,073 11,573,200 23,276,328 24,373,016 36,960,649 
			 North East Lincolnshire 2,868,429 1,803,107 1,084,923 1,980,195 1,513,488 2,867,300 
			 North Lincolnshire 3,838,544 3,170,002 2,328,200 1,785,586 912,819 1,025,210 
			 North Yorkshire 18,912,127 16,158,346 15,617,092 3,395,644 5,264,500 3,126,623 
			 Rotherham 6,104,462 5,388,307 4,868,707 2,128,678 1,512,964 2,923,100 
			 Sheffield 9,558,958 9,057,059 7,111,501 2,662,275 4,597,743 13,228,357 
			 Wakefield 7,748,823 6,021,138 4,110,929 2,401,673 1,834,440 3,947,214 
			 York 3,838,234 3,582,443 3,375,320 3,862,260 4,986,119 5,801,706 
			        
			 East Midlands       
			 Derby 5,346,324 4,802,486 4,073,665 4,073,902 2,981,586 11,653,302 
			 Derbyshire 20,161,937 17,645,650 16,595,507 5,530,801 4,847,776 9,002,421 
			 Leicester 5,828,134 6,361,107 5,978,905 11,232,090 12,118,131 14,676,287 
			 Leicestershire 16,387,601 13,918,798 7,277,385 8,785,503 8,133,120 6,890,646 
			 Lincolnshire 17,164,509 13,044,569 9,574,933 9,352,316 6,232,655 16,754,958 
			 Northamptonshire 16,558,745 13,163,396 9,999,292 11,429,243 8,475,092 21,979,749 
			 Nottingham 4,935,937 4,005,403 2,923,007 6,682,904 7,149,679 7,073,643 
			 Nottinghamshire 18,056,976 14,250,379 11,618,542 8,662,825 6,610,895 5,111,549 
			 Rutland 959,459 585,186 465,923 874,119 517,342 206,008 
			        
			 West Midlands       
			 Birmingham 26,012,659 22,324,654 17,982,792 17,816,260 21,720,394 21,916,427 
			 Coventry 6,959,545 5,914,506 5,383,002 9,938,655 9,725,823 12,500,576 
			 Dudley 6,826,405 5,949,416 5,452,029 1,207,757 1,017,119 3,118,993 
			 Herefordshire 4,270,495 3,214,036 2,984,976 2,153,842 807,190 864,814 
			 Sandwell 6,085,937 5,670,165 4,913,824 6,565,043 6,479,835 7,874,101 
			 Shropshire 7,646,800 7,121,491 6,057,154 3,020,224 1,012,229 985,642 
			 Solihull 4,603,050 3,558,350 3,230,258 1,070,983 1,823,287 705,425 
		
	
	
		
			 Staffordshire 20,537,743 18,585,392 16,735,829 16,987,346 27,845,479 13,866,023 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 4,283,692 3,958,849 2,931,489 5,092,162 3,997,904 3,395,006 
			 Telford and Wrekin 3,207,335 3,437,566 2,985,397 1,501,925 1,124,152 1,260,475 
			 Walsall 6,682,010 5,081,088 4,073,161 2,650,018 2,097,621 2,320,791 
			 Warwickshire 12,973,842 10,245,402 9,189,392 11,188,342 9,148,815 6,930,577 
			 Wolverhampton 5,101,392 5,501,435 4,906,849 2,345,039 1,686,501 1,133,172 
			 Worcestershire 13,454,700 10,478,595 8,613,688 5,852,011 6,568,636 5,920,655 
			        
			 East of England       
			 Bedford Borough 4,439,910 3,495,836 2,489,801 2,182,064 2,830,987 6,406,554 
			 Central Bedfordshire 8,105,916 4,857,912 3,595,314 10,521,009 6,652,641 18,281,232 
			 Cambridgeshire 13,264,393 9,869,433 8,262,453 17,560,097 25,527,539 19,864,120 
			 Essex 34,706,890 24,130,918 19,920,535 18,693,766 16,234,755 21,513,286 
			 Hertfordshire 32,912,999 25,905,304 21,824,813 39,304,898 37,753,793 37,343,434 
			 Luton 4,669,387 4,259,367 3,762,774 8,417,111 11,525,576 11,687,626 
			 Norfolk 20,627,977 19,162,289 16,443,223 16,960,901 12,825,948 32,271,824 
			 Peterborough 3,999,288 3,454,977 3,368,820 1,908,371 3,380,773 23,138,634 
			 Southend-on-Sea 3,925,485 2,559,008 2,456,643 4,401,588 4,449,294 5,933,171 
			 Suffolk 18,733,328 15,397,812 13,925,925 19,916,234 17,241,395 21,880,233 
			 Thurrock 3,433,986 2,361,583 1,583,196 4,162,923 4,568,254 8,435,042 
			        
			 London—Inner       
			 Camden 4,504,913 4,200,226 4,082,896 5,541,979 2,505,355 2,960,780 
			 City of London 55,490 52,177 51,000 29,855 22,489 0 
			 Hackney 4,415,700 4,180,423 4,133,712 4,009,781 6,361,865 9,519,590 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 3,624,266 3,072,154 2,517,437 19,097,586 33,139,004 8,491,985 
			 Haringey 5,174,486 5,264,718 4,465,541 9,058,248 4,590,224 7,835,208 
			 Islington 3,692,471 3,580,214 3,456,650 1,773,406 2,522,459 642,538 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 2,417,771 2,232,619 2,174,224 2,083,006 1,275,420 0 
			 Lambeth 5,563,566 4,920,855 4,683,624 16,825,208 13,090,434 23,302,872 
			 Lewisham 5,560,811 5,404,362 5,313,667 25,592,012 28,651,778 19,554,933 
			 Newham 7,004,232 6,464,643 6,414,357 25,123,459 38,260,420 48,247,503 
			 Southwark 5,335,440 4,988,285 4,568,854 10,607,212 6,509,979 13,435,387 
			 Tower Hamlets 6,411,561 6,247,518 5,908,445 14,915,491 14,439,668 16,437,724 
			 Wandsworth 5,582,728 5,061,993 4,583,184 8,811,507 11,028,096 18,686,279 
			 Westminster 3,118,097 2,746,236 2,251,843 3,066,983 3,360,846 4,814,992 
			        
			 London—Outer       
			 Barking and Dagenham 5,045,749 4,940,025 4,828,111 38,151,772 51,652,955 28,104,818 
			 Barnet 7,548,872 5,802,329 5,487,088 16,263,647 16,219,381 23,306,067 
			 Bexley 5,401,427 3,789,718 2,958,518 11,098,324 16,657,944 8,287,479 
			 Brent 6,615,315 5,521,950 4,422,993 32,226,317 54,975,564 22,746,987 
			 Bromley 7,040,605 3,592,091 3,313,283 5,774,707 3,994,955 9,968,079 
			 Croydon 8,293,722 6,920,490 5,578,999 13,324,941 18,752,772 63,246,131 
			 Ealing 6,540,018 5,423,482 5,292,428 20,852,612 18,358,932 28,426,032 
			 Enfield 7,237,379 6,620,778 6,488,529 15,996,632 20,259,965 14,532,526 
			 Greenwich 6,029,007 5,565,319 5,177,227 13,560,711 11,740,499 12,223,556 
			 Harrow 4,952,107 3,447,375 3,149,087 4,465,347 4,422,050 14,692,131 
			 Havering 6,315,747 4,353,359 3,904,762 6,255,618 8,208,656 8,903,265 
			 Hillingdon 6,840,371 4,785,732 3,796,057 15,629,819 13,844,724 18,482,727 
			 Hounslow 6,139,216 4,961,053 3,881,177 21,279,950 28,588,545 24,861,558 
			 Kingston upon Thames 3,737,775 2,322,213 1,930,949 8,062,702 11,766,142 6,979,329 
			 Merton 3,988,452 3,473,439 3,401,396 11,919,707 14,235,282 14,299,935 
			 Redbridge 6,901,344 6,032,180 5,954,774 31,838,936 44,566,259 44,337,211 
			 Richmond upon Thames 3,198,738 2,745,482 2,370,999 7,918,145 10,135,734 7,317,827 
			 Sutton 5,219,740 2,808,920 2,657,728 15,599,975 24,464,620 15,144,051 
			 Waltham Forest 5,347,677 5,112,527 3,975,264 31,836,288 49,920,936 36,512,212 
			        
			 South East       
			 Bracknell Forest 2,774,564 2,452,124 2,431,269 5,373,454 6,539,180 5,872,860 
		
	
	
		
			 Brighton and Hove 5,166,472 4,750,567 4,608,077 4,597,378 5,051,663 7,921,299 
			 Buckinghamshire 14,214,251 9,611,661 8,891,662 11,116,928 9,685,945 12,700,784 
			 East Sussex 12,147,717 10,371,546 8,995,030 8,591,275 8,353,050 13,223,531 
			 Hampshire 32,213,330 25,677,814 24,367,874 19,462,265 24,661,195 33,302,047 
			 Isle of Wight 3,906,868 3,252,465 2,513,547 2,267,333 809,226 0 
			 Kent 33,928,638 25,819,198 22,636,746 23,692,465 19,629,949 38,599,775 
			 Medway 6,550,922 4,623,891 4,088,201 3,836,404 3,012,299 5,026,158 
			 Milton Keynes 6,247,035 4,788,596 4,346,136 13,267,647 13,542,065 22,923,318 
			 Oxfordshire 16,151,349 14,062,349 10,748,960 15,088,420 14,394,882 16,916,154 
			 Portsmouth 4,154,533 3,752,020 3,070,997 2,336,576 1,651,057 1,757,014 
			 Reading 2,638,838 2,270,357 2,052,852 5,339,440 2,208,514 8,073,312 
			 Slough 3,264,965 2,423,543 1,748,396 14,532,213 20,683,606 15,420,104 
			 Southampton 4,536,103 4,082,252 3,239,380 7,867,924 8,634,378 9,627,924 
			 Surrey 27,410,974 21,824,826 20,043,894 27,694,827 29,125,659 23,974,732 
			 West Berkshire 5,012,872 4,084,692 3,693,839 1,389,760 826,514 2,660,443 
			 West Sussex 18,380,075 15,594,741 14,298,615 33,446,789 24,997,195 25,505,430 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 4,078,787 3,271,356 2,884,650 6,991,730 6,102,140 5,242,404 
			 Wokingham 3,859,651 3,198,517 3,135,311 13,355,643 14,101,856 6,495,300 
			        
			 South West       
			 Bath and North East Somerset 4,440,660 3,410,491 2,861,053 1,778,284 2,117,522 2,641,653 
			 Bournemouth 3,048,112 2,250,251 1,420,314 6,431,868 9,360,528 7,941,389 
			 Bristol, City of 7,486,791 6,586,338 4,997,940 27,689,035 41,947,227 33,799,485 
			 Cornwall 12,977,316 9,594,953 8,764,224 2,236,853 1,590,204 2,540,946 
			 Devon 17,935,958 13,594,479 12,854,064 8,393,989 7,215,942 10,402,556 
			 Dorset 10,489,241 9,295,640 8,293,342 5,467,856 4,003,606 3,498,732 
			 Gloucestershire 16,249,097 10,698,143 9,723,415 9,283,938 6,644,919 9,833,634 
			 Isles of Scilly 59,299 28,901 27,963 112,956 130,492 0 
			 North Somerset 4,905,693 3,338,525 3,044,230 3,137,881 3,977,928 7,940,904 
			 Plymouth 5,696,939 4,025,941 3,739,160 5,901,220 7,055,150 6,587,444 
			 Poole 2,777,327 2,291,132 2,012,495 3,391,909 3,903,395 4,997,439 
			 Somerset 13,881,021 10,351,823 9,271,299 4,664,440 3,582,221 6,403,301 
			 South Gloucestershire 6,574,590 5,797,172 5,225,557 4,284,879 3,263,505 5,417,006 
			 Swindon 4,619,618 2,612,805 1,908,516 3,672,615 4,302,617 3,816,090 
			 Torbay 2,610,675 1,959,251 1,265,493 1,852,884 2,155,245 2,021,411 
			 Wiltshire 11,939,506 9,325,616 8,146,032 8,472,070 5,147,057 7,801,721

Schools: Repairs and Maintenance

Chris Skidmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much each school in each parliamentary constituency in England has received in (a) maintenance capital and (b) basic need capital since 2010.

David Laws: The Department does not hold information on the main maintenance or basic need capital allocations made to local authorities at either the school or parliamentary constituency level. Capital funding for maintained and voluntary-aided schools is allocated at the local authority level.
	Further capital funding is being invested through the Priority School Building Programme in the 261 schools in the country that are in the worst condition. Capital funding is also provided to academies through the Academies Capital Maintenance Fund. Details of the schools to be funded through each programme are available from the following links. However, the amounts at a school level have not been published, because these are contractual matters.
	The Department will be allocating additional capital funding to a number of local authorities through the Targeted Basic Need Programme, to enable them to create additional pupil places by building new schools and expanding existing ones. It is our intention to announce the successful applicants to this programme at the end of June.
	Academies Capital Maintenance Fund:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/aboutdfe/executiveagencies/efa/efafundinqfinance/b00212638/efa-academies-capital
	Priority School Building Programme:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/adminandfinance/schoolscapital/a00209336/priority-school-building-programme

Schools: Sports

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the effects of funding for school sports on children’s physical activity levels in each of the last three years.

Edward Timpson: The Department does not collect data on the effects of funding for school sports on children’s physical activity levels. Data relating to sports participation are measured by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s “Taking Part” survey and Sport England’s “Active People” survey.

Schools: Standards

Chris Skidmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many schools in each (a) parliamentary constituency and (b) local authority in England were rated (i) outstanding, (ii) good, (iii) satisfactory or requires improvement and (iv) special measures by Ofsted in May (A) 2010 and (B) 2013.

David Laws: This question is a matter for Ofsted. HM Chief Inspector, Sir Michael Wilshaw, has written to the hon. Member, and a copy of his response has been placed in the House Library.

Schools: Standards

Chris Skidmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the Ofsted rating of each school in each (a) parliamentary constituency and (b) local authority in England was in May (i) 2010 and (ii) 2013.

David Laws: This question is a matter for Ofsted. HM Chief Inspector, Sir Michael Wilshaw, has written to the hon. Member and a copy of his response has been placed in the House Libraries.

Scotland

David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will list the legislation his Department has sponsored which has devolved powers to the Scottish Parliament and powers within such legislation since 1998.

David Mundell: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Scotland Office.
	Scotland Office is responsible for maintaining and strengthening the devolution settlement; together with lead policy Departments we have delivered a programme of Scotland Act orders that have provided additional powers to the Scottish Parliament, as well as delivering the Scotland Act 2012 that enhanced the devolution settlement and provided the largest transfer of financial responsibility since 1999.
	Further devolution to the Scottish Parliament is principally achieved by way of amendments to schedules 4 and 5 of the Act. Since 1998 the following changes to those schedules have been made. These are presented in summary form.
	Amendments to schedule 4 of the Scotland Act 1998
	Power to modify the Scotland Act 1998 regarding financial assistance for opposition parties in the Scottish Parliament.
	Powers to modify certain provisions of the Scotland Act 1998 requiring any sum to be payable out of the Scottish Consolidated Fund.
	Power to provide that proceedings brought in a court or tribunal against a member of the Scottish Government under the Scotland Act 1998 on human rights grounds have to be brought before the end of a limitation period (since repealed by Scotland Act 2012).
	Amendments to schedule 5 of the Scotland Act 1998
	Political parties
	The making of payments to any political party for the purpose of assisting members of the Parliament to perform their parliamentary duties.
	Referendum
	A power to allow the Scottish Parliament to conduct a referendum on the independence of Scotland from the rest of the United Kingdom, subject to certain conditions.
	Financial and economic matters
	Powers to set a rate of income tax to be paid by Scottish taxpayers, and taxes in relation to land transactions and landfill.
	Home affairs
	The interception of any communication made to or by a person detained at a place of detention.
	The regulation of air weapons.
	Trade and industry
	Powers in relation to business associations which are social landlords, including in relation to winding up proceedings and procedures giving protection from creditors.
	Powers to provide financial assistance for the provision of services (other than postal services and services relating to money or postal orders) to be provided from public post offices.
	Transport
	Powers to impose requirements on Scottish public authorities about the preparation and submission of strategies relating to the provision of rail services.
	Powers to transfer functions of passenger transport executives or passenger transport authorities relating to rail services, and the allocation of such functions among relevant authorities.
	The promotion and construction of railways which start, end and remain in Scotland.
	Power to impose requirements on Scottish public authorities about the preparation and submission of strategies relating to the provision of air services.
	Social security
	Powers to provide occasional financial or other assistance to or in respect of individuals for the purposes of meeting an immediate short-term need, arising out of exceptional services, to avoid risk to the individual’s well-being, or enabling qualifying individuals to establish or maintain a settled home.
	Employment
	Fire safety on construction sites and on certain premises, including those concerned in the manufacture or storage of chemicals, explosives or flammable materials.
	Amendment to part 1 of the Scotland Act 1998
	Elections
	Power to make provision as to the conduct of elections for membership of the Scottish Parliament, and the questioning of such an election and the consequences of irregularities. Made by the Scotland Act 2012 and yet to be brought into force.

Sign Language

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the equality of access available for deaf people whose first language is British Sign Language in communicating with (a) teachers and educational establishments and (b) the agencies and public bodies which support his Department; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what steps his Department has taken to ensure that deaf children have the opportunity to be taught in British Sign Language;
	(3)  what steps his Department has taken to ensure that (a) the families of deaf children and (b) all children have the opportunity to learn British Sign Language;
	(4)  what specific measures his Department has in place to ensure that deaf people have the opportunity to communicate in British Sign Language with (a) teachers and educational establishments and (b) the agencies and public bodies for which he is responsible.

Edward Timpson: All public bodies, including schools, early years providers, post-16 institutions and local authorities, have duties towards disabled people, including those who are deaf and use British Sign Language (BSL), under the Equality Act 2010 and the Public Sector Equality Duty. The Department publishes guidance for schools on these duties.(1)
	Schools and local authorities have the main responsibilities for ensuring support is available to deaf children, including sign language support.
	The Children and Families Bill will introduce a single Education, Health and Care Plan which links up the support for a child with special educational needs. It will also give parents more of a say in the school their child attends and will require local authorities to set out a 'local offer' of the support that is available. It will encourage a more joined-up approach to supporting deaf children and the provision of clearer information on the support that families can expect locally. The Bill will introduce the option of a personal budget for some parents and young people, which will give them more control over the support they receive.
	This year the Department for Education (DFE) has awarded a number of grants and contracts to the voluntary and community sector for the support of deaf children. These include:
	1. A grant to the National Deaf Children's Society to deliver the I-Sign project, which aims to skill up the BSL workforce by providing training and new qualifications to meet existing demand.
	2. A contract to the National Sensory Impairment Partnership to provide information, advice, support and training to specialist services in order to improve outcomes for children and young people with a sensory impairment.
	3. Through the SEN support scholarship fund, we are encouraging support staff to apply for funding to undertake high-level qualifications which enhance their ability to support the teaching and learning of pupils with SEN and disabilities.
	(1) http://www.education.gov.uk/aboutdfe/advice/f00215460/equality-act-2010-departmental-advice

Special Educational Needs

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  with reference to the Seventieth Report of the Committee of Public Accounts, Session 2010-12, HC 1636, what progress his Department has made in responding to the recommendations contained in that report on the cost and outcome analysis of high-needs provision for 16 to 25-year-olds; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  with reference to the National Audit Office Report, Oversight of special education for young people aged 16 to 25-years-old, Session 2010-12, HC 1585, what progress his Department has made in collating comparable data on disability types and severity and student outcomes to understand and provide evidence for longer-term value-for-money criteria for post-16 specialist education; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Timpson: Since the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) report, the Department has implemented a new approach to funding education and support for high needs pupils, including those aged 16 to 25.
	The new system places greater responsibility on local authorities for commissioning and funding high needs provision. Local authorities are best placed to consider the comparative value for money of different types of provision and which is likely to deliver the best outcomes for individual young people. Local authorities will consider this as part of agreeing young peoples' learning difficulty assessments and, in the future, the new Education, Health and Care Plans.
	In response to the recommendations of the PAC on high needs provision, the Department accepted that clear information about special educational needs (SEN) funding should be published. The Department is working with the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS), the Department of Health and other partners to agree definitions of learning difficulty and disability types, so as to improve comparability of data across sectors. Data standards have been developed and have been approved by the Information Standards Board for use across education, skills and children's service.
	The Department is widening its published Destinations Measures so that we can provide information on destinations for pupils with SEN at KS4 in summer 2013. I intend to publish destination data for students with SEN at KS5 later this year, at national, local and institutional level where data sets allow. We currently only consider attainment at level 3 in Destinations Measures, although we intend to explore including level 1 and 2 in the future.

Special Educational Needs

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  what guidance his Department provides to local authorities on the financial considerations to be made in commissioning placements in specialist colleges;
	(2)  what comparison his Department has made between the social return of investment for post-16 specialist college provision for high-needs students and that for other provision; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what assessment his Department has made of the (a) long-term comparative costs, (b) value for money and (c) outcomes between (i) specialist college provision and (ii) other provision for high-needs students; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Timpson: I welcome the diversity of provision available to young people with learning difficulties and disabilities, and have acted to ensure that an appropriate and affordable choice of providers will continue to be available to those young people.
	My Department has not made comparisons between the different types of provision for high needs. However, the National Audit Office report “Oversight of special education for young people aged 16 to 25-years-old” published in November 2011 considered overall provision and comparison of totality of costs. This took account of the costs to both health and social care services, as well as education, in supporting a young person in different types of education provision. This is an important part of the process in making decisions about the comparative value for money of types of provision, and I expect local authorities to consider this in drawing up Learning Difficulty Assessments (LDA) and, in the future, the new 0 to 25 Education, Health and Care Plans proposed in legislation currently before Parliament.
	Local authorities have a duty to secure enough suitable education and training to meet the reasonable needs of students aged 16 to 18, or 19 to 24, where the student is subject to a LDA. Local authorities are best placed to decide which provision is likely to deliver the best value for money on a case-by-case basis.
	From the start of the academic year 2013 to 2014 all institutions, including independent specialist colleges, will be funded in the same way for high-needs students. This will enable future comparisons on costs, outcomes and value for money to be made.
	My Department has listened to issues raised by institutions and local authorities on implementation of the high-needs students funding reform, and in March wrote to independent specialist colleges to inform them of plans to offer a level of protection over the next two academic years.
	Our operational guidance says that local authorities must work with independent specialist colleges to confirm rates of top-up funding and suggests ways to work jointly in setting rates and developing banded funding frameworks. An important condition of the Dedicated Schools Grant is that continuity of provision must be preserved for young people who have already started a course and who will continue it, for example into a further academic year, from September 2013.

Sports: Schools

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will assess the effect of targets for participation in school sports on children’s physical activity levels.

Edward Timpson: High quality physical education (PE) and sport are important in schools. Because of this, PE is, and will remain, compulsory at all four key stages in the national curriculum. Moreover, we are providing additional cross-government funding of £150 million per annum for the academic year 2013/14 and 2014/15 to support the provision of PE and sport in primary schools. This funding will be ring-fenced and must be spent to improve provision of PE and sport in primary schools. The Secretary of State for Education, my right hon. Friend the Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), and Her Majesty’s chief inspector have agreed that for all primary schools Ofsted inspectors will consider how well the schools uses its additional funding to improve the quality and breadth of its PE and sporting provision.
	Legislation specifically prohibits the Secretary of State from prescribing the amount of time to be spent on any national curriculum subject (including PE) and no targets have therefore been set. We trust individual schools and head teachers to understand the particular needs of their pupils, and to determine how to address them most effectively.

Teachers: Training

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many School Direct places initially allocated have been returned to his Department.

David Laws: 9,441 Initial Teacher Training (ITT) places were initially allocated to schools via the School Direct programme to start in academic year 2013 to 2014.(1) The National College for Teaching and Leadership (NCTL)'s timetable for the publication of School Direct ITT places is in two stages: when initial allocations are made and as soon as possible after the academic year begins in August.
	The NCTL does not publish or supply details of changes between initial and final allocations as NCTL is working with schools to respond to change requests and finalise allocations. The information requested could therefore be compiled only at disproportionate cost.
	(1) ITT places for School Direct for the academic year 2013 to 2014 can be found at the following link:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/careers/traininganddevelopment/initial/b00204256/itt-funding-and-allocations/allocations

Temporary Employment

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many temporary staff have been recruited to his private ministerial office since May 2010.

Elizabeth Truss: Since May 2010, seven temporary members of staff have been recruited to the Secretary of State's ministerial private office.

Travel

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many officials in (a) his Department and (b) the non-departmental public bodies for which he is responsible claimed reimbursement for travel subsistence expenses in each of the last five years; what the total cost was of such claims; and what the monetary value was of the 20 highest subsistence claims in each such year.

Elizabeth Truss: The number of officials in the Department and its executive agencies who claimed reimbursement for travel subsistence, and the cost of those claims, are shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Financial period 
			  2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13(1) 
			 Number 876 725 950 1,792 
			 Total Amount of Travel Subsistence Reimbursed (£) 91,076.13 103,154.38 153,410.78 342,167.92 
			 Combined Value of Top 20 Subsistence Claims (£) 9,192.62 6,917.61 6,911.94 13,507.77 
			 (1) November to March. 
		
	
	The Department moved to a new financial system in November 2009. Data before that date could be obtained only at disproportionate cost
	The Department's arm’s length body reform programme involved the creation of four executive agencies from October 2010, and the closure of a number of non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs). The transfer of functions and staff from these NDPBs to the core Department is reflected in the rise in the value and number of claims made in 2011-12 and 2012-13. Data for the financial years 2011-12 and 2012-13 are therefore not comparable with each other or with data for earlier years. Data for the closed NDPBs are not readily available and also could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	Data for the NDPBs which remain, the Office of the Children's Commissioner, and The Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (CAFCASS), are not held by the Department.

Travel

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what his Department's budget for ministerial travel for (a) the Government Car Service, (b) private hire vehicles, (c) taxis, (d) rail, (e) aviation and (f) other is for (i) 2013-14, (ii) 2014-15 and (iii) 2015-16.

Elizabeth Truss: The Department has not allocated budgets to the level of detail requested.

Travel

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much his Department spent on ministerial travel by (a) Government Car Service, (b) private hire vehicles, (c) taxis, (d) rail, (e) aviation and (f) other means in each year of the current parliament.

Elizabeth Truss: This Government have slashed the cost to the taxpayer of government cars compared with the costs before the last general election.
	For details of how much the Department has spent on the Government Car Service, I refer the hon. Member to the information published in the annual written ministerial statement, which can be found in the House Libraries.
	2009/10:
	http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201011/cmhansrd/cm101028/wmstext/101028m0001.htm#10102827000372
	2010/11:
	http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201212/cmhansrd/cm120116/wmstext/120116m0001.htm#12011611000194
	2011/12:
	http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmhansrd/cm121220/wmstext/121220m0001.htm#12122056000216
	Details of the costs for the Government Car Service for 2012/13 will be published in the normal way later this year.
	Records of other departmental travel are categorised alongside other spending and are not held centrally.

Truancy

Richard Graham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many unauthorised absences there were in (a) England, (b) the south-west and (c) Gloucester in each of the last five years; and how many of those absences were by pupils from the show people community.

Elizabeth Truss: The Department is unable to identify pupils who are from the show people community. Information on unauthorised absence rates in Gloucester constituency, the south-west and England is shown in the following table:
	
		
			 State-funded primary, state-funded secondary and special schools1,2,3,4: unauthorised absence rates5—Academic years 2007/08 to 2011/12, England, the south-west region and Gloucester parliamentary constituency 
			  Unauthorised absence rate(5) 
			  England South-west Gloucester parliamentary constituency 
			 2007/08 1.0 0.8 1.0 
			 2008/09 1.1 0.8 1.1 
			 2009/10 1.0 0.8 1.0 
			 2010/11 1.1 0.8 1.2 
			 2011/12 1.0 0.8 1.2 
			 (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. (2) Includes primary academies. (3) Includes city technology colleges and secondary academies. (4 )Includes maintained special schools, non-maintained special schools and special academies. Excludes general hospital schools, independent special schools and independent schools approved for SEN pupils. (5) The number of sessions missed due to unauthorised absence expressed as a percentage of the total number of possible sessions. Source: School Census

UK Membership of EU

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what his Department’s top priorities are for changing the UK’s relationship with the EU.

Elizabeth Truss: As the Prime Minister’s speech on Europe in January this year made clear, the EU needs to change both to deliver prosperity and to retain the support of its peoples. The Government are committed to help shape the future of a more competitive, flexible and democratically accountable European Union, with Britain playing a leading role at the heart of the Single Market.
	The Government are currently carrying out the Balance of Competence Review which is an evidence-based and objective analysis of what EU membership means for the UK and our national interest. Reports will not produce recommendations but will look at the impact of the EU in the areas of EU policy. The Department for Education will launch a consultation on EU education competence issues and report in 2014.

Universal Credit

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how the qualifying conditions for each passported benefit for which he is responsible will change under universal credit.

David Laws: We are currently considering proposals for new entitlement criteria for free school meals under universal credit. In doing so, we are working very closely with other Departments, including the Cabinet Office and the Department for Work and Pensions, to simplify free school meals criteria, while ensuring that free lunches continue to be available to the families who need them most.
	Eligibility for pupil premium, early learning for two-year-olds and extended rights to school transport is either based on a child being entitled to, or, claiming free school meals. Under universal credit, we will continue to use free school meal eligibility and entitlement in the same way to target support on the most disadvantaged children.

Vetting

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  how many special advisers that he has appointed since he took up his present office have disclosed a criminal record in line with section 11 of the Cabinet Office guidance, HMG personnel Security Controls;
	(2)  with reference to section 9 of the Cabinet Office guidance on HMG personnel security controls, if he will list the references taken up in respect of (a) Mr Dominic Cummings and (b) Mr Henry de Zoete.

Elizabeth Truss: Special advisers are appointed in accordance with the provisions of the ‘Model contract for Special Advisers’. As with all Government Departments, personal information about recruitment checks and security clearances are confidential between the Department and its employees.

Vocational Training

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 15 May 2013, Official Report, column 255W, on traineeships, what the total funding available for 16-19 Study Programmes in 2013-14 is; and how much of that funding has been earmarked to cover the cost of funding traineeships in 2013-14.

Matthew Hancock: Schools, colleges and other 16 to 19 education providers were notified of their allocations for the academic year 2013/14 at the end of March 2013. The total amount of funding allocated to schools, colleges, other further education providers and 16 to 19 apprenticeship providers for the financial year 2013-14 is £7,430 million.
	The allocations for the academic year 2013/14 are the first to be based on the new 16 to 19 funding formula, which funds per student rather than per qualification taken. The key driver for these allocations is the number of students recruited in the previous academic year. The number of traineeships or any other type of study programme to be delivered by a provider is not specified within the provider's funding allocation. It is for each individual provider to decide what mix of provision to offer based on the students' prior attainment and career aspirations and the total amount of funding available.

Vocational Training

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he is taking to encourage schools to work with local employers in developing vocational skills needed for the local economy.

Matthew Hancock: The government's focus has been to reform post-16 vocational education in line with Alison Wolf’s recommendations. The introduction of 16-19 Study programmes will lead to a significant expansion in the provision of work experience and work-related learning for all students undertaking vocational education. The Government are working with the UK Commission for Employment and Skills and other employer organisations to secure employer commitment to increasing the supply of high quality work experience places and to greater employer involvement in post-16 education.
	The Government take the development of young people's skills for employment very seriously and recognise that it is important to allow headteachers the freedom to respond to the needs of their pupils and the local economy.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  what the average number of sitting days taken by his Department was to respond substantively to named day written questions tabled by hon. Members of each political party in the (a) 2010-12 Session and (b) 2012-13 Session;
	(2)  what the average number of sitting days taken by his Department was to respond substantively to ordinary written questions tabled by hon. Members of each political party in the (a) 2010-12 Session and (b) 2012-13 Session.

Elizabeth Truss: Due to the failure of the Department for Education PQ tracker IT system last summer, we are unable to provide accurate data on the 2012-13 parliamentary Session. We do not hold data for the 2010-12 parliamentary Session.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Atos Healthcare

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans his Department has to improve collaboration and communication with Atos.

Mark Hoban: Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and Atos Healthcare continue to work closely on the delivery of all aspects of health and disability assessments. Both are committed to continuously collaborating and communicating so that improvements and necessary change can be instigated and properly managed.
	DWP and Atos Healthcare meet formally on a monthly basis to discuss performance and agree improvement activities. In addition, to support the formal process, detailed monitoring of Atos performance is undertaken weekly by DWP and weekly discussions about performance issues are held with Atos.

Child Maintenance

Pamela Nash: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what child support arrears are owed by non-resident parents to parents with care in Scotland in each (a) parliamentary constituency and (b) local authority in the latest period for which figures are available in 2013.

Steve Webb: The following tables show, as of March 2013, the amounts of child maintenance arrears owed by non-resident parents, and of these amounts how much is owed to parents with care, by Scottish parliamentary constituency and local authority of the parent with care.
	Figures are sourced from the agency's internal debt book so breakdowns will not exactly match the general ledger figures published in the March 2013 Quarterly Summary of Statistics.
	
		
			 Amount of outstanding child maintenance arrears by local authority of the parent with care—March 2013 
			 £ 
			 Local authority Total arrears March 2013 Of which: Arrears owed to PWC 
			 Aberdeen 11,560,000 7,559,000 
			 Aberdeenshire 16,128,000 11,627,000 
			 Angus 7,741,000 5,354,000 
			 Argyll & Bute 5,683,000 3,882,000 
			 Scottish Borders 7,102,000 4,800,000 
			 Clackmannanshire 3,868,000 2,520,000 
			 West Dunbartonshire 7,207,000 3,984,000 
			 Dumfries and Galloway 10,011,000 6,750,000 
			 Dundee 12,932,000 8,073,000 
			 East Ayrshire 8,876,000 5,730,000 
			 East Dunbartonshire 4,467,000 3,031,000 
			 East Lothian 5,606,000 3,848,000 
			 East Renfrewshire 3,076,000 2,135,000 
			 Edinburgh 17,070,000 10,836,000 
			 Falkirk 10,348,000 6,942,000 
			 Fife 26,965,000 17,683,000 
			 Glasgow 37,382,000 19,168,000 
			 Highland 15,786,000 10,326,000 
			 Inverclyde 6,499,000 3,533,000 
			 Midlothian 5,445,000 3,568,000 
			 Moray 6,450,000 4,644,000 
			 North Ayrshire 11,477,000 7,070,000 
			 North Lanarkshire 25,015,000 15,160,000 
			 Orkney Islands 1,203,000 923,000 
			 Perth and Kinross 9,010,000 6,368,000 
			 Renfrewshire 10,339,000 6,360,000 
			 Shetland 1,459,000 1,035,000 
			 South Ayrshire 7,224,000 4,858,000 
			 South Lanarkshire 19,162,000 12,499,000 
			 Stirling 4,868,000 3,115,000 
			 West Lothian 12,298,000 8,594,000 
			 Western Isles 1,598,000 920,000 
		
	
	
		
			 Amount of outstanding child maintenance arrears by parliamentary constituency of the parent with care—March 2013 
			 £ 
			 Parliamentary constituency Total arrears March 2013 Of which: Arrears owed to PWC 
			 Aberdeen North 6,476,000 4,228,000 
			 Aberdeen South 3,873,000 2,541,000 
			 Airdrie and Shotts 7,272,000 4,077,000 
			 Angus 6,344,000 4,448,000 
			 Argyll and Bute 5,678,000 3,875,000 
			 Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock 6,670,000 4,305,000 
			 Banff and Buchan 8,653,000 5,760,000 
			 Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk 6,186,000 4,231,000 
			 Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross 5,106,000 3,199,000 
			 Central Ayrshire 7,105,000 4,779,000 
			 Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill 7,209,000 4,378,000 
			 Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East 6,132,000 3,953,000 
			 Dumfries and Galloway 6,411,000 4,423,000 
			 Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale 5,046,000 3,258,000 
			 Dundee East 7,208,000 4,521,000 
			 Dundee West 7,198,000 4,527,000 
			 Dunfermline and West Fife 7,823,000 5,135,000 
		
	
	
		
			 East Dunbartonshire 2,775,000 2,030,000 
			 East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow 7,095,000 4,565,000 
			 East Lothian 5,563,000 3,820,000 
			 East Renfrewshire 3,079,000 2,122,000 
			 Edinburgh East 3,124,000 1,774,000 
			 Edinburgh North and Leith 3,666,000 2,304,000 
			 Edinburgh South 2,909,000 1,825,000 
			 Edinburgh South West 3,586,000 2,300,000 
			 Edinburgh West 3,766,000 2,641,000 
			 Falkirk 7,451,000 5,033,000 
			 Glasgow Central 3,687,000 1,671,000 
			 Glasgow East 7,181,000 3,497,000 
			 Glasgow North 2,911,000 1,596,000 
			 Glasgow North East 6,425,000 3,308,000 
			 Glasgow North West 5,702,000 2,829,000 
			 Glasgow South 4,741,000 2,638,000 
			 Glasgow South West 6,461,000 3,471,000 
			 Glenrothes 8,299,000 5,164,000 
			 Gordon 4,270,000 3,273,000 
			 Inverclyde 6,458,000 3,484,000 
			 Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey 6,513,000 4,339,000 
			 Kilmarnock and Loudoun 6,697,000 4,444,000 
			 Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath 7,279,000 4,690,000 
			 Lanark and Hamilton East 4,998,000 3,486,000 
			 Linlithgow and East Falkirk 6,766,000 4,539,000 
			 Livingston 8,454,000 5,989,000 
			 Midlothian 5,417,000 3,580,000 
			 Moray 6,449,000 4,651,000 
			 Motherwell and Wishaw 6,186,000 3,714,000 
			 Na h-Eileanan an Iar 1,598,000 920,000 
			 North Ayrshire and Arran 7,045,000 4,140,000 
			 North East Fife 3,579,000 2,712,000 
			 Ochil and South Perthshire 6,224,000 4,232,000 
			 Orkney and Shetland 2,661,000 1,957,000 
			 Paisley and Renfrewshire North 4,947,000 3,171,000 
			 Paisley and Renfrewshire South 5,309,000 3,137,000 
			 Perth and North Perthshire 6,754,000 4,715,000 
			 Ross, Skye and Lochaber 4,152,000 2,778,000 
			 Rutherglen and Hamilton West 6,411,000 4,025,000 
			 Stirling 4,878,000 3,155,000 
			 West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine 4,333,000 3,352,000 
		
	
	
		
			 West Dunbartonshire 7,144,000 3,936,000 
			 Notes: 1. Figures sourced from agency's internal debt book, The agency debt book over reports debt by approximately 4%. 2. Outstanding debt value allocated to a parliamentary constituency or local authority by matching the parent with care's residential postcode to the Office for National Statistics Postcode Directory. 3. Figures rounded to nearest £1,000. 4. Local authorities and parliamentary constituencies are determined by the region/country specified on the National Statistics Postcode Directory. Due to slight differences between the areas specified for local authorities and parliamentary constituencies on CSA's management information, overall totals may differ. The sum of the total arrears by parliamentary constituency differs from the sum of total arrears by local authority by approximately 0.2%.

Child Maintenance

Pauline Latham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will introduce legislative proposals to make allowances for human error in the administration of child maintenance payments.

Steve Webb: There are already a wide range of ways for preventing, detecting, and providing redress in the event of errors in the administration of the statutory child maintenance system, including the Child Support Agency's internal accuracy checks and a process for dealing with complaints. Clients are also able to challenge the Child Support's Agency's decision making through the independent appeals system, and, in the event of more complex issues of maladministration, through the Independent Case Examiner, the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, and—ultimately—the courts. Where errors do take place and a client has lost out financially, redress is provided as set out in the Financial Redress for Maladministration Guide, a copy of which is available at:
	http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/financial-redress-for-maladministration.pdf

Chronic Illnesses: Employment

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department takes to encourage employers to hire and retain staff who have (a) myalgic encephalomyelitis, (b) multiple sclerosis, (c) Parkinson's disease and (d) other long-term conditions.

Esther McVey: Jobcentre Plus is committed to helping people to find a suitable job in their local area through its network of advisers.
	Where customers with long-term conditions need extra support to find or retain work the local Jobcentre Plus office can refer them to a Disability Employment Adviser, who can provide support and advice in finding or staying in employment, including sourcing suitable job opportunities, advocating on their behalf with employers, and using the professional expertise of occupational psychologists specialising in working with disabled people. They will also be able to advise them about specialised support available for disabled people.
	In addition they can refer individuals to appropriate employment provision including:
	Work programme
	The Government recognise that many customers have complex disability-related barriers to work and may require specialist support. We know a proportion of people with long-term conditions will also have marginal or no specialist support needs. Therefore, in practice many people with long-term conditions will be served through our mainstream employment provision.
	Work Choice
	Provides tailored support to help disabled people who face the most complex barriers to employment, find and stay in work and ultimately help them progress into unsupported employment, where it is appropriate for the individual. Work Choice is voluntary and available regardless of any benefits being claimed. Work Choice can provide an indefinite period of support once the customer is in work, unlike mainstream employment provision. This is in recognition of the fact that some Work Choice participants may need ongoing support to overcome barriers in work that cannot be met through normal workplace adjustments.
	Access to Work
	Provides additional support for individuals whose health or disability affects the way they do their job. It provides individuals and their employers with advice and support with extra costs which may arise because of an individual's needs. The type of support Access to Work provides can include support workers, awareness training for colleagues and counselling.
	Employer engagement
	A key element in reducing the disability employment gap is through working with employers to identify and support them in removing barriers to recruiting and retaining disabled people in their work force. In addition to existing employer engagement activities the Department is currently developing a new disability employment strategy to progress further in this area.

Community Care Grants: Scotland

Pamela Nash: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was awarded to (a) Scottish UK parliamentary constituencies, (b) Scottish local authority areas and (c) Scotland under each category of the community care grant in (i) 2010-11, (ii) 2011-12 and (iii) up to the most recent records available.

Steve Webb: Table 1 provides the amount awarded under each Community Care Grant direction in Scotland in 2010-11,2011-12 and 2012-13.
	Tables 2 and 3 provides the amount awarded under each Community Care Grant direction by local authority in Scotland in 2010-11 and 2011-12 respectively. This information is not yet available for 2012-13.
	Community Care Grant expenditure figures are not available by parliamentary constituency.
	
		
			 Table 1: Community Care Grant expenditure in Scotland in 2010-11, 2011-12 and 2012-13 by direction 
			 £ 
			 Direction 4 condition satisfied 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 
			 Direction 4(a)(i) People moving out of institutional or residential care 1,420,900 1,448,000 1,305,400 
			 Direction 4(a)(ii) Helping people stay in the community 7,473,900 6,586,100 6,074,900 
		
	
	
		
			 Direction 4(a)(iii) Families under exceptional pressure 10,599,100 11,152,900 9,895,600 
			 Direction 4(a)(iv) Prisoner or young offender on release on temporary licence 39,200 33,100 24,400 
			 Direction 4(a)(v) People setting up home as a planned programme of resettlement 1,028,400 973,100 654,700 
			 Direction 4(b) Travelling expenses 252,100 183,600 135,900 
			 Total 20,813,600 20,376,800 18,090,900 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2: Community Care Grants expenditure in Scotland in 2010-11 by local authority and direction 
			 £ 
			  Direction 4 condition 
			  4a(i) 4a(ii) 4a(iii) 4a(iv) 4a(v) 4b Total 
			 Aberdeen City 58,200 121,500 207,300 800 40,100 2,900 430,800 
			 Aberdeenshire 23,200 66,100 169,000 (1)— 10,100 7,300 275,700 
			 Angus 21,200 73,800 141,500 900 13,100 6,600 257,100 
			 Argyll and Bute 18,300 89,500 143,600 (1)— 24,900 8,700 285,000 
			 Clackmannanshire 11,200 45,200 134,300 600 6,600 4,200 201,900 
			 Dumfries and Galloway 36,200 114,800 252,300 (1)— 37,100 6,600 447,200 
			 Dundee City 69,900 244,500 386,500 1,400 57,300 4,600 764,100 
			 East Ayrshire 54,100 189,400 281,700 500 9,800 7,800 543,300 
			 East Dunbartonshire 5,500 65,000 91,600 (1)— 6,300 200 168,600 
			 East Lothian 10,900 84,400 112,300 800 12,100 2,700 223,100 
			 East Renfrewshire 15,200 44,400 76,000 100 8,100 1,600 145,500 
			 Edinburgh, City of 93,400 584,000 517,300 1,900 92,700 13,000 1,302,400 
			 Eilean Siar 2,400 14,700 13,300 100 1— £,000 31,400 
			 Falkirk 39,000 193,900 319,900 900 27,100 3,500 584,400 
			 Fife 65,600 315,300 602,200 1,900 46,600 18,900 1,050,400 
			 Glasgow City 287,500 2,170,400 2,510,200 9,500 306,900 36,900 5,321,300 
			 Highland 35,600 150,800 262,500 (1)— 26,600 10,500 486,000 
			 Inverclyde 27,600 179,000 199,300 1,000 24,300 3,400 434,600 
			 Midlothian 6,800 73,900 161,300 1,200. 7,500 3,200 253,900 
			 Moray 11,300 45,600 118,900 200 24,200 6,600 £206,700 
			 North Ayrshire 57,300 202,700 357,700 1,300 47,600 7,200 673,700 
			 North Lanarkshire 104,900 716,100 1,052,500 3,000 50,300 14,500 1,941,400 
			 Orkney Islands 1,300 8,900 12,800 (1)— 1,300 1,000 25,300 
			 Perth and Kinross 26,800 94,300 183,000 1,500 38,400 2,400 346,500 
			 Renfrewshire 41,500 202,100 290,700 700 31,500 7,000 573,600 
			 Scottish Borders 20,000 103,000 134,500 (1)— 24,700 7,600 289,800 
			 Shetland Islands 1,000 9,900 21,400 (1)— 3,300 3,500 39,100 
			 South Ayrshire 34,900 120,400 244,100 1,200 22,800 4,800 428,200 
			 South Lanarkshire 89,100 518,700 659,000 1,300 21,100 10,400 1,299,600 
			 Stirling 15,200 86,500 136,800 1,400 6,900 2,000 248,700 
			 West Dunbartonshire 25,200 184,300 308,600 1,200 11,100 3,100 533,500 
			 West Lothian 22,600 210,700 355,800 700 37,600 13,500 641,000 
			 Total 1,332,800 7,323,700 10,457,600 34,400 1,078,400 227,200 20,454,000 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 3: Community Care Grants expenditure in Scotland in 2011-12 by local authority and direction 
			 £ 
			  Direction 4 condition 
			  4a(i) 4a(ii) 4a(iii) 4a(iv) 4a(v) 4b Total 
			 Aberdeen City 58,800 111,400 236,700 2,100 58,000 4,200 471,100 
			 Aberdeenshire 25,500 64,000 153,600 (1)— 17,500 2,300 262,800 
			 Angus 19,600 77,200 118,500 400 19,200 3,100 238,000 
			 Argyll and Bute 14,000 73,900 118,200 0 17,600 6,200 229,900 
			 Clackmannanshire 14,000 45,500 134,700 (1)— 6,200 800 £201,100 
			 Dumfries and Galloway 25,500 84,600 223,700 (1)— 38,600 2,200 374,600 
			 Dundee City 93,800 231,600 459,300 600 72,400 1,400 859,100 
			 East Ayrshire 61,100 178,500 302,900 1,400 15,800 7,000 £66,700 
			 East Dunbartonshire 8,100 51,200 137,100 400 12,800 1,300 210,900 
			 East Lothian 6,200 58,000 148,400 200 16,900 600 230,400 
			 East Renfrewshire. 10,100 51,100 90,600 500 5,500 £1,100 £158,800 
			 Edinburgh, City of 90,500 503,200 525,900 3,100 115,100 7,700 1,245,500 
			 Eilean Siar 1,200 10,900 17,000 0 2,100 400 31,500 
			 Falkirk 28,700 156,100 328,800 (1)— 33,600 5,400 552,600 
			 Fife 77,500 269,400 650,500 900 50,200 13,800 1,062,400 
		
	
	
		
			 Glasgow City 273,800 1,897,800 2,453,100 5,300 355,800 28,800 5,014,600 
			 Highland 43,800 144,700 271,000 200 15,500 8,300 483,600 
			 Inverclyde 30,600 140,900 197,400 400 23,600 2,400 395,300 
			 Midlothian 8,200 53,500 153,800 800 4,100 300 220,800 
			 Moray 15,600 48,700 149,200 100 31,800 3,100 248,500 
			 North Ayrshire 55,500 163,900 337,500 2,700 48,100 7,300 615,000 
			 North Lanarkshire 108,100 629,800 1,050,200 1,900 49,000 12,400 1,851,400 
			 Orkney Islands 600 15,900 24,200 (1)— 0 900 41,700 
			 Perth and Kinross 23,900 81,700 232,400 0 23,700 4,900 366,600 
			 Renfrewshire 51,200 197,700 302,000 1,700 47,700 4,100 604,500 
			 Scottish Borders 9,900 73,900 148,500 (1)— 11,700 3,400 247,400 
			 Shetland Islands 2,300 13,800 17,300 800 900 2,100 37,100 
			 South Ayrshire 28,800 152,600 262,000 900 16,500 4,200 464,900 
			 South Lanarkshire 84,400 541,900 670,900 2,600 31,200 10,100 1,341,100 
			 Stirling 29,200 82,800 196,900 200 21,100 500 330,800 
			 West Dunbartonshire 33,100 146,800 298,900 200 7,000 4,000 490,000 
			 West Lothian 23,100 183,600 331,000 200 41,200 8,500 587,500 
			 Total 1,356,700 6,536,600 10,742,300 27,600 1,210,500 162,800 20,036,400 
			 (1) Denotes figures less than £50. Notes: 1. The information provided is management information. Our preference is to answer all parliamentary questions using Official/National Statistics but in this case we have only management information available. It is not quality assured to the same extent as Official/National statistics and there are some issues with the data, for example, these amounts do not include expenditure on applications which were processed clerically and have not yet been entered on to the social fund computer system. 2. If more than one Community Care Grant condition is satisfied by an application, it will be recorded under the first condition, in the order set out in the table. 3. Table 1 includes awards on review. These figures are estimated as the management information system used for this table does not split expenditure made after a review by the part of direction 4 satisfied. 4. There are differences in the totals in the national and local authority tables as they have been derived from different data sources. In particular, the local authority figures have been produced by linking social fund computer system data with the national benefits database to obtain the local authority the person lived in at the time of application. There are up to 7% of cases where we cannot link the records in this way. 5. All expenditure figures are rounded to the nearest £100. 6. Figures may not sum due to rounding.

Credit Unions

Guy Opperman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps the Government are taking to support credit unions.

Steve Webb: DWP is providing funds of up to £38 million to support credit unions. A contract has been awarded to the Association of British Credit Unions Ltd.
	This will support participating credit unions to become financially sustainable while offering an increased range of financial services to a million more consumers.
	HMT has published a consultation document to seek views from the sector on an increase in the interest rate cap that credit unions can currently charge from 2 to 3%. The consultation period is now complete and HMT are considering the responses received, and plan to publish a Government response in the summer.

Housing Benefit

Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how the potential for evictions was taken into account in the formulation of the housing benefit under-occupancy penalty.

Steve Webb: The Government do not accept that evictions and homelessness will increase as a result of this measure. In addition, the changes do not necessarily mean that people will need to move, but claimants who live in homes that are larger than they require must make the same choices about affordability as those not on benefit.
	When formulating this policy, the Department for Work and Pensions held discussions with both the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) and the Chartered Institute of Housing. DCLG continues to work with the National Homelessness Advice Service to ensure front-line advice workers have the support they need to tackle homelessness effectively. Protections for people at risk of homelessness continue to remain in place through the statutory homelessness duties on local authorities.
	Reforming the welfare system in an effective manner is necessary to not only improve the wider fiscal position but also to help get people off benefits and into work, although it is recognised that the transition for some may be difficult.
	At this current time, how claimants will react is not known. Some may decide to move into work, some may move to smaller accommodation, increase working hours or take in a lodger. It is for individual claimants to determine what the best approach is for them. The measure will, however, be evaluated and monitored over the next two years with an initial report due in 2014 and the final report due in 2015.

Housing Benefit

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many households are in receipt of housing benefit in (a) Great Britain, (b) England, (c) Wales, (d) Scotland and (e) each parliamentary constituency in Great Britain which contain (i) one non-dependent adult, (ii) two non-dependent adults, (iii) three non-dependent adults or (iv) four or more non-dependent adults, excluding those in receipt of carer's allowance or the daily living component of disability living allowance or personal independence payment.

Steve Webb: The information requested is not currently available, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Housing Benefit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what the average length of claim for housing benefit claimants subject to the 13 week protection rules on the grounds that they could previously afford their rent was in 2012;
	(2)  how many claimants were assessed as a member of a protected group and exempt from housing benefit restrictions for 13 weeks on the grounds that they could previously afford their rent in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012.

Steve Webb: The information requested is not readily available, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Housing Benefit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average difference was between housing benefit awards made to people eligible for 13 weeks' protection on the grounds that they could previously afford their rent, and the local housing allowance rate to which they would otherwise have been entitled in 2012.

Steve Webb: The information requested is not readily available, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Housing Benefit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many applications for discretionary housing payments were (a) made and (b) refused in each month since March 2012.

Steve Webb: The information requested is not available.

Housing Benefit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in which local authority areas over 100 applications were made for discretionary housing payments in April (a) 2012 and (b) 2013.

Steve Webb: The information requested is not available.
	The Department currently only receives annualised summary data on discretionary housing payments. We will place a document in the Library that shows the total number of discretionary housing payment awards that each local authority made during both 2011-12 and 2012-13, where we are holding this information.

Housing Benefit

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the effect of deductions in respect of a non-dependant in relation to housing benefit on each income decile in each of the last four financial years.

Steve Webb: Such an assessment has not been made.

Housing Benefit: Disability

Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what discussions he or officials of his Department held with groups representing the interests of disabled people when formulating policy on the under-occupancy penalty.

Steve Webb: Ministers and departmental officials have met, and continue to meet on a regular basis, with representatives from a range of charitable and voluntary organisations to discuss various aspects of the Government’s plans for welfare reform, including details of the removal of the spare room subsidy for social tenants.
	During the development of the measure to remove the spare room subsidy, officials from the Department for Work and Pensions met with charitable and voluntary organisations to discuss the emerging policy.

Housing Benefit: Social Rented Housing

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the under-occupancy penalty is not wrongly applied to tenants of social housing.

Steve Webb: Local authorities have a legal obligation to ensure legislation is correctly applied.
	To help local authorities discharge their statutory duty the Department for Work and Pensions provided guidance as to how local authority staff should apply the size criteria rules, including model letters and leaflets, to aid local authorities in publicising the removal of the spare room subsidy. Advice as to how claimants should be contacted has also been issued and general information is available on the DWP website.
	In addition local authorities gather information as to the number of bedrooms a property has from social landlords, prior to comparing this to household size. Where a claimant is potentially under occupying, the local authority will write to them to confirm that the information held for their household is correct.

Housing Benefit: Social Rented Housing

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make it his policy to collect information centrally on how many families have moved to smaller accommodation as a result of the under-occupancy penalty by (a) parliamentary constituency, (b) local authority and (c) region.

Steve Webb: A consortium has been commissioned to monitor over two years the effects of the policy in a selection of local authorities, and the research will include claimants' responses to the policy measure. This evaluation will take place from April this year, with initial findings available in 2014 and a final report in late 2015.

Housing Benefit: Social Rented Housing

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make it his policy to collect information centrally on how many households have been affected by the under-occupancy penalty by (a) parliamentary constituency, (b) local authority and (c) region.

Steve Webb: Estimated numbers of claimants affected by the under-occupancy measure in Great Britain by region are given in the equality impact assessment at:
	http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/eia-social-sector-housing-under-occupation-wr2011.pdf
	From April 2013, the Department is collecting detailed data on the numbers of claimants whose housing benefit is reduced by the removal of the spare room subsidy as part of the single housing benefit extract data provided to DWP by local authorities.

Housing Benefit: Social Rented Housing

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he has updated his estimate of the (a) number of people whose income is being reduced as a result of the application of the under-occupancy penalty and (b) proportion of the households affected by the under-occupancy penalty who are living with a disability; and if he will make a statement.

Steve Webb: Updated estimates are not available as to the number of claimants affected by this measure and the proportion of which are living with a disability.
	When the measure was introduced on 1 April 2013, the Department estimated that there could be around 420,000 households affected by the removal of the spare room subsidy where either the claimant or the partner reported a Disability Discrimination Act recognised disability. However, this figure is reduced to 180,000 where either the claimant or the partner are in receipt of disability living allowance.
	These groups are not mutually exclusive, so there is likely to be a substantial overlap between these two groups.

ICT

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) computers, (b) mobile telephones, (c) BlackBerrys and (d) other pieces of IT equipment were lost or stolen from his Department in (i) 2010-11, (ii) 2011-12 and (iii) 2012-13; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Hoban: The information that is available is provided in the following table in respect of the calendar years from 2010 to 2012:
	
		
			  (a) Computers (b)Mobile telephones (c)Blackberry devices (d) Other items 
			 2010 46 30 20 20 
			 2011 56 25 6 10 
			 2012 19 31. 8 6 
		
	
	The Department takes its statutory responsibilities to protect data and assets extremely seriously; however the above figures need to be viewed in the context of the number of computer users given that as at 31 March 2012, the Department employed around 100,000 staff.
	The Department requires all portable devices to be encrypted, so as to protect the data contained on that media.
	Where items have been stolen, necessary investigations are conducted, involving the police as appropriate.

Immigration

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what discussions his Department has had on the likely number of Romanian and Bulgarian nationals who might migrate to the UK over the next three years; and what assessment he has made of the potential effects on his Department.

Mark Hoban: The advice of the Home Office who monitor and analyse overall migration data to help inform policy decisions is that it is not credible to accurately forecast likely inflows from Romania and Bulgaria once restrictions are lifted. This is because they are dependent on too many uncertainties to draw robust conclusions.
	DWP analysts are therefore unable to produce models which would provide information on the potential impact on social security expenditure in the absence of any such information.

Inflation

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list the purposes for which his Department uses (a) the retail price index measure of inflation, (b) the consumer price index measure of inflation and (c) any alternative measure of inflation.

Steve Webb: The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) uses the consumer prices index (CPI) as the measure of prices in the up-rating of various social security benefits and pensions. This information is published alongside the Budget each year in Annex A of the Policy Costings document. For Budget 2013, this is available online via the following link:
	http://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/188367/budget2013_policy_costings.pdf.pdf
	Not all social security benefits and pensions are up-rated by reference to prices inflation. For example, this Government have legislated to restore the up-rating of basic state pension by at least the growth in average earnings. We have also gone further, in our 'triple lock' commitment to up-rate the basic state pension by the highest of prices (measured by CPI), earnings or 2.5%.
	The CPI is also used for the statutory minimum increases in certain occupational pensions and for increases in Pension Protection Fund compensation and assistance from the Financial Assistance Scheme.
	The CPI is used in the context of the employer duties under the workplace pension reforms. It is used as part of the minimum quality requirement for qualifying schemes providing average salary benefits. It is also one of the specified factors that the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions may take into account when considering whether any of the earnings trigger or the qualifying earnings band for automatic enrolment should be increased or decreased.
	The CPI is used in most benefits and pensions expenditure forecasting by the DWP, produced on behalf of the Office for Budget Responsibility. The exceptions are (i) where benefits are up-rated using average earnings; and (ii) also the forecasting of some aspects of housing benefit expenditure using the retail prices index (RPI), to reflect how social rents are up-rated. The GDP deflator is used to convert expenditure to constant price terms, in line with general Government practice.
	DWP statistical publications “Households Below Average Income” (HBAI), “Family Resources Survey” (FRS) and “Pensioners' Incomes Series” (PI), use variants of the RPI. DWP officials plan to engage with users of the HBAI, FRS and PI data and publications during summer 2013, to explore whether the adoption of an alternative index would be appropriate, taking into account user needs, data availability and methodological issues.
	The model for DWP commercial contracts has a standard ‘Term and Condition’ which requires that any increase in the contract price shall not exceed the percentage change in the ONS' CPI. A very small number of commercial contracts—that were let prior to this specification of CPI—continue with alternative indexation arrangements (using RPI) and these will be removed when these are re-let in the future.

Jobcentre Plus

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to his answer of 22 April 2013, Official Report, column 703W, on jobcentre plus: digital exclusion, how many jobcentres identify or define vulnerable customers.

Mark Hoban: All Jobcentre Plus staff who deal directly with our claimants have received guidance and training on how to identify those who may be vulnerable or in a vulnerable situation.
	Guidance also explains the support that is available to help those claimants who may have additional needs and require help to access our services.

Jobcentre Plus: Harrow

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many full-time equivalent staff were employed by Harrow Jobcentre in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Hoban: Harrow Jobcentre was previously based in two buildings—Harrow Station Road and Harrow Kings House, until their merger in October 2012. The following table details the number of staff deployed purely as part of the Jobcentre function in both offices until and after the site merger. These numbers exclude other employees located in the building but not directly associated with the Harrow Jobcentre function.
	
		
			 Building FTE 
			 March 2010  
			 CSD LN Harrow Station Road Jobcentre Plus 61 
			 CSD LN Harrow Kings House Jobcentre Plus 60.97 
			 Total 121.97 
			   
			 March 2011  
			 CSD LN Harrow Station Road Jobcentre Plus 58.27 
			 CSD LN Harrow Kings House Jobcentre Plus 55.64 
			 Total 113.91 
		
	
	
		
			 March 2012  
			 CSD LN Harrow Station Road Jobcentre Plus 55.09 
			 CSD LN Harrow Kings House Jobcentre Plus 50.64 
			 Total 105.73 
			   
			 March 2013  
			 OPS WDC WSD LN Harrow Kings House Jobcentre Plus 96.63 
			 Total 96.63

Jobseeker's Allowance

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the reasons are for the time taken to publish statistics on jobseeker's allowance sanctions.

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he plans to publish the number of jobseeker's allowance claimants who received a sanction in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the North East and (d) the UK between October 2012 and May 2013.

Mark Hoban: Jobseeker's allowance (JSA) sanctions statistics were due to be released on 15 May 2013, in line with the usual publication cycle for this series. In the last few weeks prior to publication, while preparing the final statistics to the end of January and extending some of the tables to show new measures, some significant doubts were raised around the quality of the statistics relating to the new regime. Consequently, to avoid a potentially misleading statistical release, DWP statisticians decided to postpone the release of JSA sanction statistics.
	DWP statisticians will perform further quality assurance activities on this new series and will publish as soon as possible. Unfortunately, it is not possible to commit to a definite date at the moment, but a proposed publication date will be announced in advance on the DWP website at:
	http://statistics.dwp.gov.uk/asd/workingage/index.php?page=esa_sanc
	This action is fully consistent with the UK Statistics Authority Code of Practice for Official Statistics.

Jobseeker's Allowance: Scotland

Margaret Curran: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of claimants of jobseeker's allowance in each parliamentary constituency in Scotland have received a sanction in the last five years.

Mark Hoban: This information requested will be placed in the Library.

Mesothelioma: Compensation

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how much the Government have spent on compensation for mesothelioma sufferers and their dependents in each year since 2008;
	(2)  how much he estimates his Department will spend in each of the next five years on compensating mesothelioma sufferers.

Mark Hoban: The Government provide compensation payments in relation to certain dust-related diseases through both the Pneumoconiosis etc. (Workers' Compensation) Act 1979 and the 2008 mesothelioma scheme (set up under the Child Maintenance and Other Payments Act 2008).
	Payments under the Pneumoconiosis etc. (Workers' Compensation) Act 1979 can be made for a number of dust-related diseases—including mesothelioma—where the disease has been contracted through work.
	Payments under the 2008 mesothelioma scheme are made in respect of mesothelioma only—however, a person does not have to contract the disease through work to obtain a payment under this scheme.
	Recoveries of payments are made to the Department from any compensation received as a result of a successful civil damages claim.
	The amounts spent, and recovered, in respect of mesothelioma are in Table 1 as follows.
	
		
			 Table 1 
			 £ millions 
			  Expenditure Recoveries Net 
			 1979 Scheme (mesothelioma)    
			 2008-09 23 -4 19 
			 2009-10 26 -12 14 
			 2010-11 27 -13 14 
			 2011-12 28 -15 13 
			 2012-13 32 n/a n/a 
			     
			 2008 Scheme    
			 2008-09 6 0 5 
			 2009-10 7 -1 6 
			 2010-11 9 -3 6 
			 2011-12 9 -4 6 
			 2012-13 10 -4 6 
			 Notes: 1. Numbers are rounded to the nearest £ million. 2. n/a = the figure for recoveries in 2012-13 are currently not available. 
		
	
	The estimated amounts to be spent under both schemes in respect of mesothelioma are in Table 2 as follows.
	
		
			 Table 2 
			 £ millions 
			  Expenditure Recoveries Net 
			 1979 Scheme (mesothelioma)    
			 2013-14 31 n/a n/a 
			 2014-15 32 n/a n/a 
			 2015-16 33 n/a n/a 
			 2016/17 34 n/a n/a 
			 2017-18 34 n/a n/a 
			     
			 2008 Scheme    
			 2013-14 10 -4 6 
			 2014-15 10 -4 6 
			 2015-16 10 -4 6 
			 2016-17 10 -4 6 
			 2017-18 10 -4 6 
			 Notes: 1. Numbers are rounded to the nearest million 2. n/a = recovery expenditure forecasts for the 79 Act scheme are only available for the full scheme and not broken down into different components—such as mesothelioma. 
		
	
	The Government are planning to do even more for those who suffer from mesothelioma through the introduction of the Mesothelioma Support Scheme Bill which is currently going through Parliament. The Impact Assessment that was published alongside this Bill details the forecast expenditure of the planned Mesothelioma Support Scheme.
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/185025/elci-compensation-meso-ia.pdf

National Insurance

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many national insurance numbers have been issued to overseas nationals living in each region of the UK in each year since 2000.

Mark Hoban: The information requested is only available from 2002. The available information on the number of national insurance numbers issued to overseas nationals in each region of the UK since 2002 can be found at:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/index.php?page=tabtool
	Guidance for users is available at:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/tabtools/guidance.pdf

National Insurance Credits

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether those women who will be required to work longer for their national insurance pension, but who will be ineligible for the new higher value state pension, will remain eligible for pension credit.

Steve Webb: Women who reach state pension age before the implementation of the single-tier pension will receive their state pension in line with the existing rules. Pension credit will remain as a safety net benefit for all, although the savings credit element will be removed for those reaching state pension age after the implementation of the single-tier pension.

New Enterprise Allowance

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he plans to make of the sustainability of businesses started with the help of the new enterprise allowance.

Mark Hoban: The department will be publishing statistics in the coming months which track the benefit outcomes for a cohort of new enterprise allowance participants. This paper will provide data on proportion of new enterprise allowance participants who have remained off, or returned to, benefit in the year following new enterprise allowance start. This provides a proxy measure of the sustainability of businesses started under the scheme.

Pensioners: Social Security Benefits

Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his Department's estimate is of the number of pensioners who have not taken-up income-related benefits in (a) 2009-10, (b) 2010-11 and (c) 2011-12.

Steve Webb: The most recent estimates of take-up cover the period 2009-10. Figures for the number of pensioners entitled to but not receiving income-related benefits in Great Britain in 2009-10 are presented in the following tables. Estimates of take-up are not available for 2010-11 or 2011-12.
	
		
			 Caseload take-up for pension credit, Great Britain, 2009-10 
			  2009-10 
			 Range of entitled non recipients (Thousands) 1,210 - 1,580 
			 Take up ranges (Percentages) 62 - 68 
		
	
	
		
			 Caseload take-up for housing benefit, pensioners, Great Britain, 2009-10 
			  2009-10 
			 Range of entitled non recipients (Thousands) 240 - 390 
			 Take up ranges (Percentages) 79 - 86 
		
	
	
		
			 Caseload take-up for council tax benefit, pensioners, Great Britain, 2009-10 
			  2009-10 
			 Range of entitled non-recipients (Thousands) 1,690 - 2,230 
			 Take-up ranges (Percentages) 54 - 61 
		
	
	The income-related benefits: Estimates of take-up report covers Great Britain for the financial year 2009-10. It provides caseload and expenditure estimates of take-up for income support and employment and support allowance (income-related), pension credit, housing benefit (including local housing allowance), council tax benefit and jobseeker's allowance (income-based). The latest release updates the statistics previously released on 10 June 2010. The figures are available online and can be found here:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/index.php?page=irb

Personal Independence Payment

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make it his policy to allow people who have hearing loss and who are participating in the personal independence payment pilots to write to, email or text officials to request a paper form; what assessment he has made of the accessibility of the claim process for young people with hearing loss; and if he will make a statement.

Esther McVey: We provide a textphone facility for people with hearing loss who cannot make a PIP claim by telephone. We will also accept telephone claims from people acting on behalf of the claimant and, where they have no one to provide this support, claimants can request a paper version of the PIP claim form in writing from a DWP PO Box address.
	We are committed to enabling communication with claimants who are deaf or hard of hearing. We have standard processes in place to support deaf people, and a range of guidance to help staff to understand the help required and support available through alternative formats.
	The introduction of PIP offers an opportunity to work towards redesigning business processes and facilitate a move to digital options in the future, including the ability for claimants to request a form by e-mail.

Personnel Management

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many officials in his Department were employed in human resources functions in each of the last five years; at what grades such staff were employed; and what the total cost of his Department's human resources functions was.

Mark Hoban: The costs of the HR function and the staff (full time equivalents) employed are detailed in table 1 following. The HR function described is consistent with the definition of HR provide by the Cabinet Office publication “Common Areas of Spend”.
	
		
			 Table 1: Total cost and staff number of DWP HR 
			  FTE Total cost of HR (£000) 
			 2008-09 1,724 96,456 
			 2009-10 1,561 91,425 
			 2010-11 1,075 55,115 
			 2011-12 785 57,382 
			 2012-13 752 50,091 
		
	
	The figures above exclude Child Maintenance Group.
	Since 1 April 2011 DWP has hosted Civil Service Employee Policy (CSEP) which is part of Civil Service HR and provides services across Government. The costs and staff (full time equivalents) employed on this service are detailed in table 2 following.
	
		
			 Table 2: Total cost and staff numbers of CSEP 
			  FTE Cost of CSEP (£000) 
			 2011-12 106 5,638 
			 2012-13 115 8,241 
		
	
	It should be noted however that this service is fully charged out and therefore the costs and staff of this service that are relevant to DWP are already included in table 1 above.
	The full grade breakdown to support this analysis is not captured routinely and is therefore not available.

Regulation

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what processes his Department has put in place to (a) monitor, (b) collate cost information on, (c) review and (d) respond to requests to amend or revoke regulations introduced by his Department;
	(2)  what the title was of each set of regulations introduced by his Department in each month since May 2010; and which of those regulations have been (a) subject to the (i) one in, one out and (ii) one in, two out procedure and (b) (i) revoked and (ii) amended;
	(3)  if he will provide the estimated cost of each regulation introduced by his Department since May 2010; and what the estimated benefits of each regulation (a) amended and (b) revoked were.

Mark Hoban: The process for monitoring and collating cost information on amendments to statutory instruments and revocations is through the Government’s Statement of New Regulation (SNR).
	There have been five Statements of Regulation, since the first published in April 2011. They list new regulations coming into force from 1 January 2011, and their impact under One-In, One-Out. From January 2013, the statements capture the effect of new regulation under the new One-In, Two-Out system. The Department complies with the process by contributing to the Government’s statements and separately publishing its new measures including Health and Safety Executive (HSE) measures (from January 2012) in its own statements (publications are now available on gov.uk).
	My Department has reviewed and responded to requests to amend or revoke regulations through the Red Tape Challenge:
	www.redtapechallenge.cabinetoffice.gov.uk
	For health and safety regulations, through the Government’s response to Lord Young’s review of health and safety laws “Common Sense, Common Safety”; the Government’s health and safety reform programme, “Good Health and Safety, Good for Everyone” and the Löfstedt Review: “Reclaiming health and safety for all: An independent review of health and safety legislation”.
	Regulations in scope for One-In, One-Out or One-In, Two-Out, including HSE measures, are listed in the following table, including the cost information that is available.
	
		
			 Impact assessment number Title of legislation Equivalent annual net cost to business (£ million) SNR report 
			 DWP0014 Pensions Act 2011—occupational pension scheme indexation https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/cpi-as-the-measure-of-price-increases-on-private-sector-occupational-pension-schemes -3,342.00 SNR1 
			 HSE0051 The Health and Safety at Work etc Act (Application Outside Great Britain) (Variation) Order 2011(1 )http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2011/745/made 0.00 SNR1 
			 DWP0018 Occupational Pensions Schemes (Employer Debt and Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2011 http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2011/2973/contents/made -27.00 SNR2 
			 DWP0015 The Pensions Act 2007 (Abolition of Contracting-out for Defined Contribution Pension Schemes) (Consequential Amendments) (No. 2) Regulations 2011 http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2011/1724/contents/made -5.26 SNR3 
			 HSE0062 The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences (Amendment) Regulations 2012 http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2012/199/made http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2012/199/pdfs/uksifia_20120199_en.pdf -0.24 SNR3 
			 HSE0067 The Identification and Traceability of Explosives (Amendment) Regulations 2012(2)( )http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2012/638/made http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2012/638/pdfs/uksifia_20120638_en.pdf -0.04 SNR3 
			 DWP001b Pensions Act 2011—Workplace Pensions Reform https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/workplace-pension-reform-summary-of-net-impact-on-business-july-2012 2,820.00 SNR4 
			 DW0005 The Automatic Enrolment (Offshore Employment) Order 2012 http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2012/1388/contents/made 19.00 SNR4 
			 DWP0005a The Pensions Act 2008 (Commencement No. 14 and Supplementary Provisions) Order 2012–Removal of stakeholder designation requirements http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2012/2480/resources -0.40 SNR4 
			 DWP0026 The Occupational and Personal Pension Schemes (Automatic Enrolment) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2012 http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2012/1477/contents/made -7.40 SNR4 
			 DWP0027 The Employers' Duties (Implementation) (Amendment) Regulations 2012 http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2012/1813/contents/made -137.00 SNR4 
			 DWP0024a The Occupational Pension Schemes (Disclosure of Information) (Amendment) Regulations 2012 http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2012/1811/contents/made 0.00 SNR4 
			 DWP0013 The Child Support Maintenance Calculation Regulations 2012 http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2012/2677/contents/made 0.10 SNR4 
			 DWP0025 The Child Support (Meaning of Child and New Calculation Rules) (Consequential and Miscellaneous Amendment) Regulations 2012 http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2012/2785/contents/made -0.80 SNR4 
			 DWP0021 The Social Security (Overpayments and Recovery) Regulations 2013 http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2013/384/contents/made 0.00 SNR5 
			 DWP0033 The Occupational and Stakeholder Pension Schemes (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2013 http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2013/459/resources 0.00 SNR5 
			 DWP0036 The Occupational and Stakeholder Pension Schemes (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2013 http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2013/459/resources 0.00 SNR5 
			 DWP0037 The National Employment Savings Trust (Amendment) Order 2013 http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2013/597/contents/made 0.00 SNR5 
			 HSE0068 Health and Safety at Work etc. Act (Application Outside Great Britain) Order 2013 http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2013/240/made http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2013/240/pdfs/uksifia_20130240_en.pdf 0.00 SNR5 
			 HSE0069 Health and Safety (Miscellaneous Repeals, Revocations and Amendment) Regulations 2013 http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2013/448/made -0.09 SNR5 
			 HSE0073 Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (ERR) Bill—Strict Liability Amendments http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2013/24/section/69/enacted http://www.bis.gov.uk/assets/biscore/corporate/docs/s/12-1219-strict-liability-health-safety-at-work-impact 0.00 SNR5 
			 (1) Revoked by HSE0068—The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (Application outside Great Britain) Order 2013 http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2013/240/made (2) Revoked by the Identification and Traceability of Explosives Regulations 2013 http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2013/449/made (out of scope of OITO). Further, HSE0074: Amendment to Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981 was listed in SNR5 but has been delayed until the Sixth Statement of New Regulation (due to be published in the summer).

Remploy

Gordon Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many bids he has received for the Remploy Marine Textiles division to date.

Esther McVey: I am unable to state how many bids were received for the Marine Textiles business as this information is commercially confidential and Remploy does not disclose it.

Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995

Meg Munn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he plans to include work-related road deaths under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations.

Mark Hoban: Revised Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR) will be introduced in October 2013. There are no plans to widen the scope of reportable incidents under RIDDOR to include further work-related road deaths or incidents.

Scotland

David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list the legislation his Department has sponsored which has devolved powers to the Scottish Parliament and powers within such legislation since 1998.

David Mundell: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Scotland Office.
	Scotland Office is responsible for maintaining and strengthening the devolution settlement; together with lead policy Departments we have delivered a programme of Scotland Act orders that have provided additional powers to the Scottish Parliament, as well as delivering the Scotland Act 2012 that enhanced the devolution settlement and provided the largest transfer of financial responsibility since 1999.
	Further devolution to the Scottish Parliament is principally achieved by way of amendments to schedules 4 and 5 of the Act. Since 1998 the following changes to those schedules have been made. These are presented in summary form.
	Amendments to schedule 4 of the Scotland Act 1998
	Power to modify the Scotland Act 1998 regarding financial assistance for opposition parties in the Scottish Parliament.
	Powers to modify certain provisions of the Scotland Act 1998 requiring any sum to be payable out of the Scottish Consolidated Fund.
	Power to provide that proceedings brought in a court or tribunal against a member of the Scottish Government under the Scotland Act 1998 on human rights grounds have to be brought before the end of a limitation period (since repealed by Scotland Act 2012).
	Amendments to schedule 5 of the Scotland Act 1998
	Political parties
	The making of payments to any political party for the purpose of assisting members of the Parliament to perform their parliamentary duties.
	Referendum
	A power to allow the Scottish Parliament to conduct a referendum on the independence of Scotland from the rest of the United Kingdom, subject to certain conditions.
	Financial and economic matters
	Powers to set a rate of income tax to be paid by Scottish taxpayers, and taxes in relation to land transactions and landfill.
	Home affairs
	The interception of any communication made to or by a person detained at a place of detention.
	The regulation of air weapons.
	Trade and industry
	Powers in relation to business associations which are social landlords, including in relation to winding up proceedings and procedures giving protection from creditors.
	Powers to provide financial assistance for the provision of services (other than postal services and services relating to money or postal orders) to be provided from public post offices.
	Transport
	Powers to impose requirements on Scottish public authorities about the preparation and submission of strategies relating to the provision of rail services.
	Powers to transfer functions of passenger transport executives or passenger transport authorities relating to rail services, and the allocation of such functions among relevant authorities.
	The promotion and construction of railways which start, end and remain in Scotland.
	Power to impose requirements on Scottish public authorities about the preparation and submission of strategies relating to the provision of air services.
	Social security
	Powers to provide occasional financial or other assistance to or in respect of individuals for the purposes of meeting an immediate short-term need, arising out of exceptional services, to avoid risk to the individual’s well-being, or enabling qualifying individuals to establish or maintain a settled home.
	Employment
	Fire safety on construction sites and on certain premises, including those concerned in the manufacture or storage of chemicals, explosives or flammable materials.
	Amendment to part 1 of the Scotland Act 1998
	Elections
	Power to make provision as to the conduct of elections for membership of the Scottish Parliament, and the questioning of such an election and the consequences of irregularities. Made by the Scotland Act 2012 and yet to be brought into force.

Separation

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to help separated parents work together in the best interests of their children.

Steve Webb: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to his previous question number 155876, on 20 May 2013, Official Report, column 543W.
	On 20 May we announced the next steps in reforming the child maintenance system in a way that incentivises separated parents to collaborate in the interests of their children, available at:
	http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201314/cmhansrd/cm130520/wmstext/130520m0001.htm#1305205000011
	This is supported by up to £20 million of investment in the Help and Support for Separated Families initiative. So far, we have awarded £6.5 million to seven organisations, to provide 280,000 families with assistance, which we will carefully evaluate.

Social Fund

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was awarded by his Department in social fund payments to each English local authority in 2011-12.

Steve Webb: A table providing the amount awarded for Community Care Grants, Crisis Loans and Budgeting Loans in each lower tier local authority in England in 2011-12 will be placed in the Library.
	Data for the regulated Social Fund (funeral payments, cold weather payments and sure start maternity grants) are not available at local authority level.

Social Security Benefits

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to the press release issued by his Department on 24 May 2012, what his most recent assessment is of the date when all new claims to current benefits and credits will be entirely phased out.

Mark Hoban: I refer the right hon. Gentleman to my answer of 18 March 2013, Official Report, column 501W. Claims to universal credit started in our Pathfinder from 29 April 2013. Pathfinder will focus on new single, unemployed people, with or without rented housing costs and will replace means tested jobseeker's allowance for this group of claimants. If these claimants then move into work, they will be eligible to claim universal credit, not working tax credit.
	Universal credit will then progressively roll-out in a managed way across the country from October 2013. This will ultimately include all claims from people both in and out of work, with everyone eventually claiming the new benefit by 2017.

Social Security Benefits

Michael Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much the Government have spent on welfare in (a) current prices and (b) real terms in respect of (i) pensions, (ii) disability benefits, (iii) unemployment benefits, (iv) lone parent benefits, (v) widowhood benefits and (vi) other benefit disbursements in each year since 1997.

Mark Hoban: The information requested is published and can be found at:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd4/index.php?page=expenditure
	GB expenditure data can be found in the link labelled “Tables from 1948-49 to 2017-18”.
	Table 1a shows GB expenditure by DWP benefit in nominal terms and Table 1b shows GB expenditure by DWP benefit in real terms (2013-14 prices). More detailed benefit expenditure information can be found in the individually labelled tabs in this publication.

Social Security Benefits: Older People

Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what welfare benefits are available to people over the age of 80 years.

Steve Webb: Benefits specific to people aged 80 and over are the over 80 state pension and the age addition to the state pension. People aged 80 and over also receive an additional £100 in their winter fuel payment.
	In addition, they may be eligible for a range of other benefits including pension credit, housing benefit, attendance allowance, and localised help with their council tax.

Social Security Benefits: Stafford

Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people were claiming (a) jobseeker's allowance, (b) employment and support allowance, (c) incapacity benefit, (d) lone parents allowance, (e) carer's allowance and (f) other out-of-work benefits in Stafford constituency in (i) the most recent month in 2013 for which data are available and (ii) the corresponding month in each of the last 10 years.

Mark Hoban: Statistics on the number of people in the Stafford constituency who received (a) jobseeker's allowance, (b) employment and support allowance, (c) incapacity benefit, (d) lone parents, (e) carer's allowance and (f) other out-of-work benefits are shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Recipients of out-of-work benefits in Stafford parliamentary constituency: 2003-12 
			 November each year: Jobseeker’s allowance Employment and support allowance Incapacity and severe disablement allowance Income support—lone parents Carer’s allowance Income support—others on income related benefits 
			 2003 970 — 3,140 680 480 1,240 
			 2004 850 — 3,050 620 490 1,180 
			 2005 980 — 3,030 630 500 1,190 
			 2006 1,180 — 3,010 630 520 1,210 
			 2007 710 — 3,030 600 540 1,230 
			 2008 1,190 70 2,920 630 590 1,290 
			 2009 1,710 610 2,470 620 650 1,150 
			 2010 1,440 850 2,250 600 680 1,080 
			 2011 1,440 1,160 1,920 580 720 960 
		
	
	
		
			 2012 1,470 1,690 1,220 520 740 660 
			 Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. The out of work benefits which are included in this analysis are: Jobseeker's allowance Employment and support allowance Incapacity benefit and severe disablement allowance Carer's allowance Income support—lone parents Income support—others The figures in the table will include overlaps as claimants can be entitled to more than one of the above benefits. 3. Incapacity benefit was replaced by employment support allowance (ESA) for new claims from October 2008. 4. Parliamentary constituency of claimant (Westminster) These constituencies are used for the Westminster parliament. For the May 2005 general election, the constituencies in Scotland changed and are included in the tables from May 2005 onwards. For the May 2010 general election, constituencies in England and Wales changed and are included in the tables from May 2010 onwards. 5. Data for 2013 are not yet available. 6. This information is published on the ONS website at: https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/Default.asp Source: DWP Information, Governance and Security Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study

State Retirement Pensions

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will commission research to establish the level of annuities purchased by people who have contracted out of additional elements of the state pension.

Steve Webb: People who contracted out of the additional state pension on a defined contribution basis (which was abolished in April 2012) would have purchased annuities from insurance companies and other annuity providers. The Government do not hold information on the level of annuities purchased by people who have contracted out of the additional elements of the state pension, and commissioning bespoke research on this would be at a disproportionate cost.

State Retirement Pensions

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the decile amounts of the additional pension accrued by (a) men and (b) women reaching state pension age were in (i) the latest year for which figures are available and (ii) each of the previous five years.

Steve Webb: The following table provides the weekly deciles amount of the additional pension accrued by men and women reaching state pension age in 2011-12, and for each of the previous five years. The figures are in cash terms, include inherited amounts and are rounded to the nearest pound.
	
		
			 Deciles amounts (£ per week, cash terms) of additional pension by gender and by year reached state pension age 
			   Percentiles 
			   10(th) 20(th) 30(th) 40(th) 50(th) 60(th) 70(th) 80(th) 90(th) 
			 2012 Men 4 7 11 17 23 29 38 51 69 
			  Women 1 4 8 12 16 19 22 27 37 
			            
			 2011 Men 4 7 10 17 22 29 38 52 71 
			  Women 1 3 6 10 14 17 20 25 35 
			            
			 2010 Men 3 .6 9 15 21 27 37 52 72 
			  Women 1 2 6 9 13 16 20 25 35 
			            
			 2009 Men 4 6 9 15 20 27 38 52 74 
			  Women 0 2 5 8 12 15 18 24 35 
			            
			 2008 Men 3 6 8 13 18 25 35 51 73 
			  Women 0 2 5 8 11 14 17 23 35 
			            
			 2007 Men 3 6 8 13 17 24 35 51 74 
			  Women 0 1 4 7 9 12 15 21 33 
			 Source: Department for Work and Pensions, Information Directorate, 5% sample. Figures are extracted from March dataset of each year.

Telephone Services

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of double-handled calls made to his Department's call centres in the last period for which figures are available; what the cost was of handling such calls; and what assessment he has made of the effect on customer service of such reforms.

Mark Hoban: During April 2013, 502,360 benefit inquiry calls out of a total 2,424,346 made to the Department's working age contact centres were unable to be resolved at the first point of contact and were handed over to a Benefit Centre. This represented 20.7% of calls.
	For Pensions age calls, 15,319 out of a total 200,766 received in April 2013 by the Department's external provider were unable to be resolved at the first point of contact and were transferred to a Regional Pension Centre. This represented 7.6% of calls handled by the provider.
	The cost of double handled calls to the Department and the volumes of internal handoffs for Pension age calls are not routinely captured. The analysis required to provide them would be at a disproportionate cost.
	Improvement activity across working age operations is currently being developed and implemented by the Department to improve the resolution of customer inquiries at the first point of contact and so reduce the volumes of calls being double handled.

Tractors: Accidents

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many accidents have been caused by tractors in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Mark Hoban: Details of the number of work-related injuries to workers and members of the public in Great Britain involving wheeled tractors reported to all enforcing authorities including the Health and Safety Executive, in all industries in each of the years from 2006-07 to 2010-11 are set out in the following table. The figures include fatal, major and “over three day” injuries.
	
		
			  2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 
			 Employee 54 67 74 68 54 
			 Self employed 7 4 6 10 15 
			 Member of the public 4 2 3 4 5 
			 Total workers and public 65 73 83 82 74

Training

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many officials in (a) his Department and (b) the non-departmental public bodies for which he is responsible enrolled in publicly-funded training courses in each of the last five years; what the total cost has been of such courses; and what the monetary value was of the 10 highest training course fees in each such year.

Mark Hoban: At the moment, Department for Work and pensions IT systems only allow us to collate information at total spend level and by individual but not by individual training course. The total number of enrolments to attend publicly funded training courses in each of the last five years is detailed as follows:
	
		
			 Period DWP total enrolments 
			 2008-09 81,095 
			 2009-10 137,475 
			 2010-11 159,341 
			 2011-12 106,299 
			 2012-13 85,943 
		
	
	The total cost of departmental publicly funded training courses over the last five years is detailed as follows:
	
		
			 Period DWP total expenditure (£ million) 
			 2008-09 17.424 
			 2009-10 18.716 
			 2010-11 12.082 
			 2011-12 6.424 
			 2012-13 6.167 
		
	
	With regard to the 10 highest (training course) fees in each of the years, the information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	The non-departmental public bodies IT systems only allow the collation at total spend level. The total amount of money spent per year on training in the NDPB in each of the last five years is detailed as follows:
	
		
			 Period NDPB total expenditure 
			 2008-09 £4.144 million 
			 2009-10 £4.687 million 
			 2010-11 £3.680 million 
			 2011-12 £3.240 million 
			 2012-13 £231,000 
			 Note: In 2012-13 only ILF, NEST and the Ombudsman made returns in that year. 
		
	
	The NDBP IT systems do not allow us to collate information on the number of NDPB officials attending publicly funded training courses nor will the IT systems allow the collation of the 10 highest (training course) fees in each of the years. The information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Universal Credit

Richard Graham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent estimate he has made of the cost of implementation of universal credit; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Hoban: £2 billion.

Universal Credit

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what savings his Department expects to make from the mandatory revisions for universal credit and for the period of instituting a mandatory revision before any appeal is accepted.

Mark Hoban: Mandatory reconsideration is an integral part of the universal credit design. A separate estimate of savings is not available.

Universal Credit

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many non-dependent adults in households in (a) Great Britain, (b) England, (c) Wales, (d) Scotland and (e) each parliamentary constituency in Great Britain will be affected by the introduction of housing cost contribution in respect of payments of universal credit in respect of non-dependent adults living in those households; and what the average weekly loss thereby in each category will be;
	(2)  how many households in (a) Great Britain, (b) England, (c) Wales, (d) Scotland and (e) each parliamentary constituency in Great Britain will be affected by the introduction of housing cost contribution in respect of payments of universal credit in respect of non-dependent adults living in those households; and what the average weekly loss thereby in each category will be.

Steve Webb: The Government believe that it is reasonable that someone living in a claimant's home should be asked to contribute towards the rent. For example, universal credit will ensure that a single person, who is not a homeowner and is aged between 21 and 25, will receive at least £246.81 per month—out of which we are expecting them to contribute only £68 per month. This contribution will be expected only where the person is either in work or there is an expectation that they should be working. It will not be expected if the person is aged under 21, a carer, responsible for a young child, or in receipt of a specified disability benefit.
	It is not possible to isolate the impact of the housing cost contribution from the other constituent parts of universal credit.
	Transitional protection will ensure that there will be no cash losers where claimants move to universal credit, providing circumstances remain the same.

Universal Credit

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make an assessment of the introduction of housing cost contribution in respect of payments of universal credit in respect of non-dependent adults living in those households, on each decile of the population in each nation and region of Great Britain; and what the average weekly loss thereby in each decile will be.

Steve Webb: The Government believe that it is reasonable that someone living in a claimant's home should be asked to contribute towards the rent. For example, universal credit will ensure that a single person, who is not a homeowner and is aged between 21 and 25, will receive at least £246.81 per month—out of which we are expecting them to contribute only £68 per month. This contribution will be expected only where the person is either in work or there is an expectation that they should be working. It will not be expected if the person is aged under 21, a carer, responsible for a young child, or in receipt of a specified disability benefit.
	It is not possible to isolate the impact of the housing cost contribution from the other constituent parts of universal credit.
	Transitional protection will ensure that there will be no cash losers where claimants move to universal credit, providing circumstances remain the same.

Universal Credit

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many non-dependent adults aged (a) 21-24 and in receipt of jobseeker's allowance and (b) 21-24 who are being assessed for their capability to work in households in (i) Great Britain, (ii) England, (iii) Wales, (iv) Scotland and (v) each parliamentary constituency in Great Britain will be affected by the introduction of housing cost contribution in respect of payments of universal credit in respect of non-dependent adults living in those households; and what the average weekly loss thereby in each category will be.

Steve Webb: The Government believe that it is reasonable that someone living in a claimant's home should be asked to contribute towards the rent. For example, universal credit will ensure that a single person, who is not a homeowner and is aged between 21 and 25, will receive at least £246.81 per month—out of which we are expecting them to contribute only £68 per month. This contribution will be expected only where the person is either in work or there is an expectation that they should be working. It will not be expected if the person is aged under 21, a carer, responsible for a young child, or in receipt of a specified disability benefit.
	It is not possible to isolate the impact of the housing cost contribution from the other constituent parts of universal credit.
	Transitional protection will ensure that there will be no cash losers where claimants move to universal credit, providing circumstances remain the same.

Universal Credit

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make an assessment of the effect on levels of youth homelessness in (a) Great Britain, (b) England, (c) Wales and (d) Scotland arising from the introduction of the housing cost contribution from payments of universal credit in respect of non-dependent adults living in those households who will receive universal credit.

Steve Webb: The Government believe that it is reasonable that someone living in a claimant's home should be asked to contribute towards the rent. However, individuals aged under 21 will not be expected to make a housing cost contribution, and so we do not anticipate this change to have a detrimental effect of homelessness for this group.

Universal Credit

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assistance his Department plans to provide to people making a claim for universal credit who are prevented from using a computer as a consequence of their health condition.

Mark Hoban: The universal credit online system has been built to Web Content Accessibility guidelines including assistive technologies in order for claimants to be able to use it.
	We will also offer alternative routes; via telephone where an agent will complete an online claim form on a claimants behalf or direct assistance in a local office, a local delivery partner or in exceptional circumstances a home visit.

Universal Credit

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in what areas the IT system for universal credit will be rolled out in autumn 2013; and what the expected timescale is for the remaining areas.

Mark Hoban: Universal credit will progressively roll-out in a carefully managed and controlled way from October 2013 with all those who are entitled to UC claiming the new benefit by 2017.

Universal Credit

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assumptions on (a) forecast caseload and (b) IT delivery timescales were made in his Department's initial bid to the Treasury for funding to implement universal credit.

Mark Hoban: The assumptions on the forecast caseload at the time of the bid to Treasury for funding are set out in the White Paper "Universal Credit: Welfare that Works" CM7957 Chapter 4, Paragraph 21.
	The assumption on the IT delivery timescale at the time of the bid to Treasury for funding was that a system would be ready to start by October 2013.

Universal Credit

Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many meetings his Department has had with the Department for Education on the treatment of free school meals under universal credit.

Mark Hoban: The Department has formal meetings twice a month. However, due to the importance of the treatment of free school meals under universal credit we have ad hoc meetings, telephone conversations and email correspondence on a weekly basis at the present time.

Universal Credit

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much of the universal credit spending envelope was spent to the most detailed figure available in (a) 2011-12 and (b) 2012-13; and how much he forecasts will be spent to the most detailed figure available in (i) 2013-14 and (ii) 2014-15.

Mark Hoban: I refer the right hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave him on 15 May 2013, Official Report, column 329W.
	Of the £2 billion budget, spend in 2011-12 was 5%, and in 2012-13 16%. Plans continue to be developed to support the gradual roll-out from autumn 2013 within budget.

Universal Credit: Ashton Under Lyne

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what changes have been made to Jobcentre Plus staffing in Ashton-under-Lyne to support delivery of the universal credit pathfinder.

Mark Hoban: To support the delivery of the universal credit pathfinder a total of 152 full-time equivalent operational staff will be allocated to new posts. In Ashton Jobcentre 21 staff will be supporting universal credit delivery by the end of July 2013. Staffing requirements have been calculated based upon the forecast numbers of new claims to universal credit. All staff delivering universal credit will have been given targeted training and support.

Vacancies

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he expects new statistics on the number of vacancies by constituency to be released.

Mark Hoban: National statistics on vacancies at UK-level continue to be reported each month via the ONS Vacancy Survey. A user consultation by DWP on the changes to the Jobcentre Plus vacancy series was conducted last year and has been published on the DWP statistics web pages. Statistical information for some geographies below national level is already available via the Universal Jobmatch MI tool and some improvements, including the addition of breakdowns by parliamentary constituency, have been suggested. DWP is currently agreeing with Monster Worldwide Limited, the Universal Jobmatch supplier, a timetable for prioritising and implementing these improvements, subject to funding. Further details will be released as soon as they are available.

Work Capability Assessment

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of specialist training given to Atos health care professionals in relation to fluctuating conditions; and what plans he has to ensure that sufficient support is offered to the work-related activity group to ensure that people with fluctuating conditions in that group have suitable options.

Mark Hoban: All health care professionals (HCP) who carry out the WCA are trained to ask about and take account of fluctuation. Training on variable and fluctuating conditions is delivered throughout the learning path for the HCPs employed by Atos Healthcare during their initial course and continues throughout their training and professional development. In addition to discussing variability during the course, all HCPs are provided with learning materials at the initial stages to cover a range of variable conditions. During the consolidation phase of new entrant training fluctuating conditions are further discussed.
	In addition to this initial training material, HCPs have a range of learning resources available, including distance learning packs and continuing medical education products, to aid understanding of fluctuating conditions. There is also a specific learning pack available on variability which addresses multiple issues with assessing fluctuating conditions.
	In relation to the support offered to those in the work-related activity group; support is available through either Jobcentre Plus or the Work programme. A claimant's medical circumstances are taken into account when considering requiring them to undertake a specific activity. Claimants are encouraged to discuss the impact of their condition on their support needs, while advisers/providers will be well-placed to understand and reflect the needs of claimants to help them successfully move towards employment.

Work Capability Assessment

Sheila Gilmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his policy is on publishing statistics on the number and percentage of (a) successful and (b) unsuccessful appeals for (i) repeat functional assessments and (ii) incapacity benefit reassessments as part of the quarterly bulletin of Work Capability Assessment statistics.

Mark Hoban: The Department continually reviews our statistical publications and will consider adding this information to the existing publication, subject to available resource. Amendments to the publication will be announced in advance in line with UK Statistics Authority guidelines.

Work Programme

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many participants in their second year of the Work Programme have not had a job outcome to date.

Mark Hoban: Once referred by Jobcentre Plus, individuals can remain on the Work programme for two years. Statistics on those having spent 24 months on the programme will be published for the first time in September 2013, for those referred in June 2011.
	The statistics will be published here:
	http://statistics.dwp.gov.uk/asd/index.php?page=wp

Work Programme

Iain McKenzie: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what criteria are used to evaluate companies involved in the Work Programme.

Mark Hoban: The Department evaluates Work programme providers against delivery of their minimum service standards and contractual performance levels. Minimum service standards are published on the gov.uk website and can be viewed via:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/minimum-service-delivery-standards-for-work-programme-providers
	Individual provider contracts are available on the Contracts Finder pages of the gov.uk website at:
	https://www.gov.uk/contracts-finder
	In addition the Department has commissioned an independent evaluation of the Work programme which includes a study of providers' delivery models, aiming to understand the success, or otherwise, of different ways of delivering the programme, as chosen by providers under our minimum prescription framework.